An Arranged Life
by Colonel Pepper
Summary: When Hiccup and Elsa were babies, their parents wrote out their lives for them in hopes of bettering their kingdoms. Join Hiccup and Elsa as their lives unfold around them. Will be covering childhood, adolescence, adulthood and beyond. No one ever said life was easy, even an arranged one. Hiccup/Elsa without a doubt.
1. The Contract

**Authors Notes:** This is my first story I am putting on FanFiction, though I have been writing for a number of years. Just so you all know this will be a long multi-chapter story, with lots of drama and romance. I actually let a few of my favorite writers read and give criticism to my story. I would like to thank Wixeron and ShadowXSeed for taking the time to critique my story. After you are done reading, you can write a review to share your thoughts or ask a question. I will try to respond to all of them if I can; thank you for reading my story and have a nice day.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

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 _An Arranged Life_

Chapter 1

 _The Contract_

 _"_ Så kan vi angi vilkårene i ekteskapkontrakten? _" (So, may we set the terms of the marriage contract?)_ Stoick the Vast asked King Agdar and Queen Idun of Arendelle.

"Vi kan, men først Hva ønsker du å få i denne kontrakten?" ( _We may, but first what do you wish to gain in this contract?_ ) The King replied.

"Vi ønsker å sette handelsrutene og har en allianse med ditt rike," ( _We want to setup trade routes_ and have an alliance with your kingdom), "which will provide protection from larger aggressive southern nations who may want to invade us." Stoick said to the King as he stroked his beard.

"I see, but what do we have to gain from such a small island if we agree to these terms?"

"We are Vikings, we are known for being fierce warriors and this will continue if we become allies, we will protect ye from the North if ye protect us from the South. And if a foreign power moves against ye, we will be at yer side." Stoick said with confidence, he then looked at Valka who was holding their one-year-old son Hiccup in her arms.

The King of Arendelle did the same as he looked at his daughter Elsa who had a one-year advantage on Hiccup and she was crawling on the rug in front of their throne seats. She looked happy as she did not know what was going on or how her future was being written for her.

As Stoick looked at Hiccup his mind drifted back to how he and King Agdar met. It was a chance encounter that the two met on the same island, he was exploring islands to plunder and Agdar was seeing if the island could be colonized. Those were very tense moments indeed when the two parties met, crossbows cocked and swords pointed. It was Agdar who convinced him to lower his sword and be 'civil' as he called it. They introduced themselves and Agdar showed him a map pointing to where his kingdom laid. Once he saw the size of the king's land, he instantly saw a chance to better his people with a possible trade route to Arendelle.

He proposed giving his son as a token of friendship to King Agdar for his daughter to marry. Personally, he doesn't know why the king accepted his offer, the man must have had other rulers offer their sons, who were more affluent and powerful. Maybe the King saw something in himself that he did not see, whatever the underlying factor was he did not care at the moment.

He could still remember the look on Valka's face when he told her of the deal.

" _Valka, yer won't believe what I just did for Berk. This will secure our village for the foreseeable future_." He said with an almost giddiness tone.

" _Wow, slow down. What do you think you did, that was so amazing for Berk?"_ Valka responded with an exhaustive sigh, having just put Hiccup to sleep. Her baby boy was only a few feet away in a still rocking bed, softly snoring to the sound of the wind lapping against their home.

" _Yer know how I and a few others had gone out to see if there were any new islands to plunder_?" He asked.

" _Yes, of course. You look forward to this every few months_." She said hoping he would get to the point, she was tired and hungry. Raising a growing boy and minding a village were two massive energy consumers. Well, one at least knew not to disturb her while the other literally drank the energy out of her.

" _Well, this time I found a large island full of timber and rare resources, but what I found on the southern tip of island was even rarer. There were foreigners from a region that I never knew existed. Apparently their kingdom is called Arendull or something along those lines_."

Valka looked interested to say the least, sure there were sightings of foreign ships in their waters, but never a face to face.

" _And you two just came together and talked? That is very peaceful considering it is you."_ She joked playfully.

Stoick looked embarrassed, which told her that it wasn't as peaceful as she once thought.

" _Actually, we almost killed one another. If it wasn't for their king, we would have lost a few men. Their weapons looked more powerful, but still had a smaller form than ours. Perhaps we can work together to expand our territory_." He whispered the last part to himself.

" _What was that?"_ Valka asked suspiciously.

" _We worked out a contract binding our two lands together. And found Hiccup his future wife_." He said quickly, putting on his best smile for his wife. He knew giving a mother's child away to a kingdom he had never seen was never a good call, but he couldn't help himself. The thought of gaining so much including riches, lands and titles and only had to sign his child's life away seemed selfish, but the needs of the village come first. And this contract will make Berk into the kingdom it deserves to be.

But now that he saw his wife trembling with what he could see was anger, he was beginning to regret his decision. Perhaps King Agdar was about to be berated too by his wife Idun. A short chuckle left his lips at the thought of two powerful men being yelled at by their small wives. Now he saw Valka's right hand clench into a fist, but he did not see how she cocked it back and sent it flying and connecting to just under his chin. Causing him to fall flat on his back, his senses were just coming back to him as he saw her leap onto him and start to choke the air out of his lungs. Thankfully being so large had its advantages and he just rolled over and dislodged her with ease. After many dishes flew into the wall behind him, continuous shouting for many minutes, and putting Hiccup back to sleep. Valka had calmed down to the point where she had begrudgingly accepted the idea of the contract. She also demanded to be brought along that way she could see this couple face to face to see if they were as good as Stoick made them to be.

Stoick smiled at his victory, though he had to sleep on the ground downstairs for the entire week, his back hurt more than usual.

He chuckled to himself thinking back to that night, Valka nearly broke his jaw with that punch. Valka was smaller than him, but she had a mean right hook. After a week of sleeping on the ground, a letter arrived asking him to come to Arendelle to sign the contract. All he needed to do now was to exterminate the dragons which would make his island and the sea peaceful. He also needed to make sure none of his neighbors ruined this deal with his new affluent ally. Stoick was brought out of his memories by the sound of King Agdar's soft voice.

"Chief Stoick, where did you get that bruise? If you don't mind me asking." King Agdar asked in a whispered tone.

Stoick smiled and whispered back. "From my wife, when I told her about the contract. Did yer wife hit you too? Though I don't see any bruises on you."

"Oh, she hit me alright, well it was more of a kick than a punch," Agdar said then smiled back.

Stoick flinched a little at the thought of receiving a kick of that magnitude. He was once again brought out of his thoughts when he heard Agdar's voice, this time directed at his own wife instead of him.

"Dear, what do you think?" Agdar asked Idun who was being rather quiet about what they were planning for their children.

"I am sure that Hiccup will become a nice man who will treat my daughter right, I just hope that our children will forgive us for dictating how they will live from now on." The queen responded solemnly.

"Aye, do not worry about that, I will teach him to be a true gentleman and he will treat your daughter as if she were a goddess. In regards to the life dictation, they will be told of the contract when they each turn eighteen years old respectively. Best they become friends first." Valka responded smiling at the queen, then moved to set her son down into a handcrafted wooden crib, a gift from the royal couple.

Gothi who came with the Viking couple moved out of the shadows and toward the crib containing the future Chief of Berk.

"May I introduce Gothi; she is our doctor and can predict the future regarding our children. Do you wish for a reading?" Valka asked the King and Queen

The royal couple looked skeptical but did not wish to insult their guests. "Certainly, you may proceed when ready."

Gothi laid a leather mat on the floor and dumped sand on it. She then looked down at Hiccup and took a hold of him, looking at him and inspecting his body. She returned him to the softness of the crib, where he giggled from the attention. Gothi grabbed her staff and then began to write in the sand.

Stoick peered over and read aloud what she was writing.

"She says Hiccup will be a strong warrior, though in his early life he will be rejected by all but a few. He will be slow in becoming the man he will be, but in return he will be a genius of his time and bring a peace not seen on the Isle of Berk in many moons." Stoick finished then looked confused for a moment, "Well I wasn't expecting that kind of prediction, but I will take it with caution."

Gothi moved to take a hold of Elsa, before she did she looked to Agdar and Idun, they nodded their consent. She softly took a hold of her and did the same as she did for Hiccup, but instead of placing her back down on the rugs, she placed Elsa on her rear in front of Hiccup in the crib. She smoothed out the sand and began writing her prediction.

"She says Elsa will become a beautiful princess and a capable queen, she will be intelligent and wise for her age, but will contain a power no man has ever possessed. With love she will be able to conquer her fears and become the woman she is meant to be."

This time is was the Queen who spoke first. "A power no man has ever possessed? That most certainly sounds interesting." She said in a hushed voice. "How accurately has she been in the past?"

"In all my years he has never once gotten a prediction wrong, she correctly predicted when I would become Chief, even down to which day of the week I would be coronated." Stoick responded. "I know ye may not believe in predictions, but Gothi can be trusted not to tell anyone about what was said here tonight."

"Thank you for your secrecy." The King responded.

"When will the children be able to see each other?" Valka asked while sitting down in her seat opposite of the queen.

The couples took a minute to think this over. "I propose that every three years or so, Hiccup visits your kingdom to see Elsa. In that time of about a month or so, he will maintain his friendship with yer daughter; all the while yer advisors and servants teach him all the things we don't have knowledge of. The Isle of Berk does not have many books or even a library. I wish my boy to become smart through learning in an appropriate atmosphere." Stoick said with a calm tone.

"That sounds suitable and I take it while he is at home he will be taught by you to become a warrior and a chief?" The King asked

"Aye, he will. Do not worry about that. But I must ask that Elsa remain in her own Kingdom, for we do not have the best conditions to offer for a royal princess." The Viking Chief asked hesitantly.

"I understand where you are coming from, and will not take offense from it. But I suggest she does come over when they are told of the contract so they can become a true couple and maintain their relationship."

"I can agree to that." The Chief said with mild enthusiasm. He then stood and walked over to the children in the crib. Soon the rest of the adults gathered around and were looking down at the future couple.

"Chief Stoick I have read reports and heard a few things from your neighbors that trouble me. I hope you will be able to alleviate my concerns." Agdar said in a cautious tone.

Stoick raised an eyebrow. "And what are yer concerns?"

"My advisors have told me that you are actively battling dragons, a war that has gone on for hundreds of years and claimed hundreds of Vikings, is this true and if it is I am concerned for your heir's safety."

Stoick felt anger, embarrassment and guilt at being found out. He desperately wanted to hide this from Agdar. But now he had to come clean and hope it was enough to keep this deal alive.

"All of what ye were told is true, we Vikings have been in a war against dragons for centuries, and we have lost many brave men, women and children. I promise that by the time Elsa reaches adulthood, the dragon threat will have been dealt with. I will also promise that if you go ahead with this contract yer daughter and her future kingdom will be loved by all especially my son. That I will promise you King Agdar and Queen Idun, love, the most powerful answer in the world." He replied with conviction and bravery.

King Agdar was stunned, but also amazed at how Stoick handled himself, he thought Stoick might have tried to brush this under the rug, but he was wrong and he was glad to be wrong. That statement had confirmed to himself that Stoick was a man to listen to and believe in to keep his promises. The contract was all but set. "Good, all we need is to…" He started but got cut off.

"Actually, there is one more thing we must address." Queen Idun stated. "And that is?" Her husband asked.

"When will the two be married and when must they have children?" She asked

"Aye, I believe they should be marri-. " Stoick started but was interrupted by his wife.

"Stoick, we have already dictated so much of their life already, I believe we should let the children decide. We shouldn't force them to marry if they are not ready and the same goes for their children. When they feel the time is right, they will begin that part of their lives." Valka said with a gentle voice.

"I understand where yer are coming from Valka but remember we don't live that long and the longer they wait to have children the more likely something might happen to Hiccup to prevent him from doing his fatherly duty." Stoick gently retorted.

"That is why I suggest they marry by the age of twenty-three and have children by twenty-six. Enough time to settle into their new lives together and get acquainted with their new roles as King and Queen of both Arendelle and Berk in case something has happened to all of us."

Valka looked at her husband and slowly processed what he said and then nodded her head at his idea.

The royal couple silently nodded their heads to this plan.

"Any more questions?" Valka asked. No one spoke.

"May we sign the contract then?" Valka asked.

"We may let us begin." The King responded.

A royal inscriber entered the room and set upon writing out the contract including the terms and when the visits would occur among other things. Once all was said and done all was needed was the signatures and the stamp of authenticity.

Each member of the room wrote down their signature including the inscriber and Gothi as witnesses. The royal wax was heated up and a stamp was lowered into it coating the stamp, which was then pressed into the bottom of the contract, declaring it official. The Royal couples exchanged handshakes and drinks were passed out to celebrate the signing.

Gothi who had remained in the corner after the signing went over to retrieve her sand and mat. But before she did she looked at Queen Idun's stomach. The Queen herself caught Gothi's gaze and asked what the matter was. Gothi smoothed out the sand once again and began to write. This time, it was Valka who came over to read the prediction.

"Gothi says your second daughter will be as beautiful as Elsa and will be kind beyond all measure, as she holds the key to helping Elsa through her tribulations."

Idun looked at Gothi with a look of disbelief, "But I am not pregnant, at least I don't think I am." She stated as she touched her stomach.

Gothi merely smiled then took her belongings and left the room, leaving the royal couples to ponder the cryptic prediction they had just been given.

After a moment of awkward silence, Valka and Stoick bid their farewells and left for their homeland. The King and Queen were left to ponder their thoughts.

"I hope we have not made a mistake, they truly seem like a nice couple, but that may change with the passage of time." Idun hinted.

The King looked at his wife and kissed her; he got up from his seat and looked down at his daughter as she started to play with his shoes. He picked her up and sat down beside his wife. "I believe we have made the right decision, the only thing we have to worry about is this special power that Gothi said Elsa would have. That is what has me troubled. I guess we will have to wait till this power shows itself, only then we will see if we are able to contain it."

The Queen looked into her husband's eyes and smiled, she took Elsa from his arms and leaned into him.

"Well, at least she got the beauty part right. Only time will tell if we are able to help Elsa through this long process. Besides if Gothi is correct we will be giving Elsa a baby sister soon enough." Idun said softly as she closed her eyes and thought about baby names. Only one came to mind; Anna.

Agdar hooked an arm around Idun's stomach and asked, "When would you like to confirm you are with child?"

"In due time my dear, in due time." She said softly.


	2. The First Time

**Important Author's** **Notes:** Sorry about not posting yesterday, I wanted to but I needed to reinstall my OS and that took a few hours. I tried to write back to everyone's reviews, so thank you if you left one. In regards to the suggestions of meeting every one year instead of three, I won't be doing that since I actually started writing this back in January 2014; pre-HTTYD 2. I have completed twelve chapters and changing the timetable would force me to rewrite the entire story and that is something I will not do. Besides I am covering their entire lives, I would run out of things they could do together by the time they turn eight years old if I went that route.

I have included in this chapter and every chapter after it, Easter Eggs. I won't tell you where they are, but they are things that bridge the gap between movies or explain things that were left out of the movies that were not fully described as to why someone or something got this way. If you think you found one, you should send me a PM and tell me what it is and if you are right then I will give you a shout out come next chapter. Don't put it in the review, unless you don't mind sharing. Maybe I will create a point system further down the road.

I would like to thank Noctus Fury, Eragonfan33, Red Star, Free, RandomReader7, fanfictionmakermachine, TheWritingFactory, ravenx1988 and Wixeron for their reviews and messages.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

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 **Chapter 2**

 _The First Time_

The first meeting was only an hour away as the King and Queen were busy to have everything ready when Hiccup arrived at Arendelle.

"Kai, is everything ready for Hiccup when he arrives?" The Queen asked her servant who had been with them for many years.

Kai walked briskly up to the Queen and bowed "Yes, my Queen. His room is prepared, the books have arrived and an extra place setting has been set at the dinner table."

"Good, all we have to do is go down to the dock and wait for his arrival." Idun said smiling. She then turned around and went to fetch her daughters. Elsa had just turned five years of age and Anna was born just two summers ago, they were growing so fast, and they had unlimited supplies of energy, apparently.

She could hear Elsa playing with Gerda and Anna through the thick oak door, opening said door she observed Gerda hoisting Anna up and Elsa running around the two holding her dolls.

"Elsa, it is time to meet Hiccup." She moved over to Gerda who handed over Anna to her and Elsa put away her dolls to follow her mother out the door. "Mama, what will he look like?"

"I don't know Elsa; the last time I saw him was over three years ago, I'm sure he has grown since then. From the letters his mother has sent me, he has brown hair and green eyes." She said smiling.

"Is he the same height as me? Does he like to play and run around?" Elsa asked enthused to have someone else to play with besides the servants.

"I'm sure he is, and you will see him in less than an hour. Till then, let us wait and see." Her mother said smiling, happy to see Elsa happy and excited to see her future husband, though they will tell Elsa about that many years down the road.

As they walked through the gates of the castle they were momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight, people waved and bowed toward the royal family. Elsa ran ahead to the docks to see a lone Viking ship in the distance.

"Mama, I see them! I see them!" Elsa shouted while jumping up and down.

The Queen arrived just as the ship was docking, as the gang plank was lowered into place, she could see Valka smiling. She waved her hand and Valka returned it, gently guiding Hiccup along the walkway.

"It has been awhile, Valka." The Queen said with waited breath.

"Yes, it has. How are you doing Elsa?" Valka said while looking down at the young princess.

"I'm good, where's Hiccup?" Elsa asked as she swayed back and forth on her heels.

"Oh, he's… Hiccup come out from behind my legs and meet your new friend Elsa."

Hiccup peeked behind her waist, before slowly retreating back again. Valka just sidestepped and pushed Hiccup in front of her.

Elsa ran up to Hiccup and held out her hand, "Hello, I'm Elsa, would you like to be friends?"

"Are you sure? Nobody ever wants to be my friend." Hiccup replied sadly, casting his gaze down at his feet.

"Of course Hiccup, I promise I won't be mean to you." Elsa said smiling, still holding out her hand.

Hiccup smiled and shook her hand, "my name is Hiccup, and I would like to be your friend."

"I already know that silly, come on, I want to show you my home," she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the castle.

The two mothers looked on smiling as their children ran off toward the castle, "well that was simple; all we have to do is make sure they stay friends till they are married." The Queen said knowingly.

"That is a long time; a lot can happen from now till then." Valka replied while looking at Anna who was in the Queen's arms. "Hello, Anna. How are you?"

"Goog." Anna replied while squirming in her mother's arms.

"Come on Hiccup, I want to show you my room" Elsa stated as they walked down one of the many halls of the castle. Hiccup looked around at all the statues, knights in armor and paintings. This one hallway was bigger than his entire house! There were so many people too; they all smiled at him which was a change for people usually frowned at him or made fun of him. Hiccup came out of his thoughts as he found himself in a nice sized room with two beds one on each side of the room, a chest of drawers, and weird looking rugs that covered the wooden floors.

Elsa turned around and looked at Hiccup. "What?" Hiccup asked.

"What is with your clothes, they look weird." Elsa looked at his dark green shaggy pants, green tunic, and fur vest. "After dinner, I will put you in some better clothes."

"Why? I like my clothes."

"They look old and ugly."

"My mom made them for me."

Just then their moms walked through the door and told them lunch was ready.

Hiccup walked behind Elsa, amazed by the sheer size of everything, so many rooms and things. The dining room was the size of the training academy back at Berk and his mom was already seated and talking to Elsa's mom.

"Hiccup, come sit next to me." Elsa said tapping the empty seat next to hers.

A male servant hoisted him onto his seat and pushed in the chair "thank you" Hiccup said to the man. He just smiled and walked into the kitchen, he returned with four bowls of soup and one bowl of what looked like crushed peas for Anna.

Hiccup eagerly ate all the soup before his bowl was replaced with another bowl of hot water and a lemon on the side. Hiccup arched a brow, but took his spoon and began to drink the soup nonetheless.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" Elsa asked as she put her fingers into her bowl, then taking them out and drying them with a spare towel.

"What, it is soup, isn't it?" Hiccup replied.

"No, you put your fingers into the water to clean them." Elsa said while laughing a little.

"Elsa don't laugh at Hiccups lack of manners. He will learn soon enough." Idun said suddenly.

"It's alright Hiccup, it is your first time in a place like this, and we have different ways of doing things. I will teach you some of them tonight."

"Thank you" was all that Hiccup said as he cast his eyes down in embarrassment.

Lunch went on for a solid hour, through different courses and different foods; Hiccup was amazed by all the new meats and vegetables. After their meal, Elsa took Hiccup to play in her room for a few hours before his mom came to tell him she was leaving to go back home.

"Hiccup, you have to be a big boy now, it won't be so long, and I will be back in a month. By then you will be smarter and more mature." Valka said to her son as she was kneeling down to look into Hiccup's eyes.

The ship was being prepared to sail and was just waiting for Valka to say the word.

"Yes, mama. I will be a big boy and make you proud." Hiccup said will an uncertain smile.

"Don't be afraid Hiccup, Elsa, and her family will take great care of you and will be nothing but nice and kind. You will learn things no Viking has ever heard about, that way the other kids will be envious of you." Valka said then smiled, this made Hiccup's smile turn into a true one.

She gave him Hiccup one last kiss and hug before walking onto the ship, Elsa who had been watching came up from behind and put her arm around Hiccup's shoulder.

The two stayed there till the ship disappeared into the horizon, "Are you ready for dinner, Hiccup?" Elsa asked

 _"_ _I have to be a big boy now. I have to be a big boy."_ Hiccup thought

"Yes, I am ready" Hiccup replied then smiled at Elsa.

Elsa withdrew her arm from around his shoulder, but took his hand and led him back to the castle past the tall guards and into the dining room where her family was sitting waiting for the two of them. The King came up behind Hiccup and seated him in his chair, Hiccup let out a small thank you, but the King just waved it off.

"Now, Mr. Hiccup" Agdar started, "tonight we will teach you a few basic manners. First, sit up straight up and do not hunch over the plate." Hiccup did as he was told and listened to the King as he went through a list of manners of what to do and what not to do at the table. He learned everything from which utensil to use, how to eat properly, why not to use your fingers to eat, how to use the napkin properly and to always thank your host. Hiccup had a headache after learning so many rules. Once dinner was over he was escorted by Elsa to his room where he would rest and do work.

"And here is your bedroom, it has everything mine has, but it is blue inside." Sure enough, there was a single bed with what looked to be a blanket hanging over the top of the bed, a chest of drawers, a desk, closet, but the walls had a touch of light blue.

"Thank you for everything, Elsa." Hiccup told the young princess with a small smile.

"You are welcome Hiccup; if you need anything my room is across from yours, good night." And with that, she left him all alone inside a room that was the size of his living room back on Berk. He took his leather satchel that was filled to the brim with clothing and anything else he would need for a month's trip. After putting everything away he went to the window and unhinged the latch letting in the cool ocean air, at least something reminded him of home. Looking out at the massive mountain that laid behind the castle, he just watched the moon rise in all its majesty.

"Well time for bed" Hiccup said to himself as he took off his boots, fur vest and got into the very soft bed, its fluffiness pulled him in toward the center as if enveloping him. He immediately got out of the human eating bed, grabbed a blanket and a pillow before going over to Elsa's door and knocking.

After a few moments, the door slowly opened to reveal a tired looking princess "What's wrong?" Elsa said sleepily. "My bed tried to eat me, can I stay with you?" Hiccup asked.

Elsa gave him a strange look before replying "sure" and let him in where he laid down on the floor since he was more accustomed to a slab of wood instead of a soft bed. Elsa stared once again as he laid the blanket over him and promptly went to sleep. After getting back into bed, one thought crossed her mind before she fell asleep, " _what a strange boy."_

Kai was bringing a hot bowl of water for Hiccup to rinse in his face in. He maneuvered the tray onto his left hand so he could knock with his right. Knock, knock; nothing. He opened the door and saw no one, immediately worried he went inside before he felt a cool gust of wind. He looked at the open window and thought " _oh no, did he leave?!"_ He was about to alert the guards before he heard laughing coming from Elsa's room. Quickly walking over the room while carefully balancing the hot water he found the two children talking together. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Hiccup, why are you not in your room?" He asked.

"The bed tried to eat me." Hiccup replied casually.

Kai said nothing before Elsa burst out laughing, "It really did" Hiccup replied in a serious tone crossing his arms in front of his chest, this only made Elsa laugh harder, even Kai gave a chuckle but he tried to hide it with his free hand. Recovering from his mild chuckle, Kai placed the now lukewarm water on a nightstand to Hiccup's right, then handed a washcloth to him. "Here you are Sir, a cloth to wash your face with; I shall notify one of the servants to have your mattress replaced with something firmer. May I ask what you have slept on in the past?" Kai asked the young Viking.

"Wood" Hiccup replied with a straight face.

Once again Kai stared at him and once again Elsa laughed out loud.

"I shall try to get something close to that Mr. Hiccup."

"Thank you" Hiccup said to the plump balding man.

Elsa was still chuckling as the door closed, but only for a moment before Gerda came into the room. "Ms. Elsa, Mr. Hiccup if you would get changed and cleaned up, I will take you to the library where you will begin your studies." Gerda said promptly.

The children immediately got changed in their respective rooms and washed their faces in the water basins.

They met in the hallway and followed Gerda past the council chambers and the ballroom until finally arriving at the library. Pushing the doors open revealed hundreds of books sorted diligently along the walls; there was a fireplace to the left, a large desk in the back situated in between two large windows which gave the room its light and even more books on the far right. In the middle lay two small desks with a chalkboard situated in front of them.

Hiccup took the seat to the right and Elsa took the one on the left.

"The teacher will be here in a moment, I shall return with lunch in a few hours," Gerda said before she left.

Hiccup was amazed with all the books and what they could possibly hold within their paper walls. Not even a minute passed before a slim woman with blond hair and spectacles on her nose entered the room, she wore a blue summer dress and held a small mountain of books.

"Mr. Hiccup I presume? These books are for you." She said as she handed the books to Hiccup who looked at them before putting them on the floor next to him.

"I am here to give you a small introduction to modern education. Do not expect to learn everything about the world in this one month Mr. Hiccup. Elsa here has been learning for the past year and is farther than you in most areas." The teacher told him and then turned to Elsa, "read ' _An Unlikely Fairy Tale'_ by Sir Wixeron while I tend to Mr. Hiccup."

"Yes, Ms. Hornsby" Elsa replied to the tall woman.

" _So, her name is Ms. Hornsby, I must remember that."_ Hiccup thought

"Now, Mr. Hiccup if you will look at your books and find the one that says ' _Mathematics_ ' I will start your lesson for today." Ms. Hornsby said to the young lad as she pulled up a chalkboard.

"Yes, mam" he replied as he looked through the assortment of books to find the one that looked like it had that long word.

"Open it up and turn to page six, I will teach you the basics then start the real lessons." She said then smiled.

He did as he was told and then began to learn things he did not even think he would learn about. They only stopped for an hour because of lunch and took a small break before learning about English and how to write properly.

This continued on for a month, every day he learned something new. He learned how to count to a hundred, how to add and subtract, he learned how to do basic measurements, and a bit of geometry. They went out into the fields to learn about animals and how they acted in the wild. Stayed up at night to peer through a telescope to observe the moon cycles. They learned about the location of the earth in the solar system and so much more. The most important thing he learned was the world was not flat, and that nearly blew his mind.

" _This has been an amazing month, not only did I learn so many new things, but I made an amazing new friend. Elsa is so nice, she is my first friend in the whole world, sure Fishlegs is nice, but Elsa is so much more fun. She and her family are the best, and their home is amazing. So many beautiful and stunning rooms and buildings. I could stare at them all day. I learned something new every single day except for Sunday because Elsa and her family went to the chapel to pray and pay homage to their God, which reminds me I need to pray to Freyr for good weather when sailing back to Berk. I am sad that tomorrow I will go back to Berk where no one acknowledges me except for my mom because my dad is too busy caring about the village. I still can't believe I am only four years old and know so much about the world. I can only imagine what else I will learn in my coming years."_ Hiccup thought as he wrote down his past actions in his new journal, a gift from King Agdar himself.

After finishing up in his journal, he prepared himself for bed and resentfully went to sleep. Sleep passed by far too quickly and sadly today was the day his mom came to take him back to Berk where no one would understand the things he had learned. He just had to wait another three years to come back to this great and wondrous place.

He heard a knock then looked to see the door open to reveal Elsa with some books under each arm.

"Hiccup, the teacher wanted me to give you some books to take back to Berk." Elsa said before she gave the books to Hiccup containing at least six different subjects. "We will send you books every year so you can learn more on your own." Elsa replied then gave him a warm smile.

Hiccup's cheeks began to become red as she smiled at him, he did not understand this reaction that was making his tummy feel weird.

A guard came up behind the two then escorted Elsa and Hiccup to the harbor, he saw his mom waiting for him at the dock. He slowly jogged over to her mindful of all the stuff he was carrying, he set them down and then threw himself onto his mother's waist.

Valka felt this and hoisted him up and hugged him properly.

"Hiccup, my handsome son, how have you been, have you missed me?" Valka asked.

"Of course mom, I missed you so much, but I never cried; I am a big boy now." Hiccup said excitedly.

Valka put her son down to thank and say goodbye to the Queen who had just arrived, while Hiccup did the same with Elsa.

"I will miss you Hiccup, I can't wait till we see each other again," Elsa said to the young Viking.

"I will miss you too Elsa, I will miss the fun we had together and all that we learned." Hiccup replied while wiping a tear from his face.

Queen Idun came over and kneeled down to give a small hug to Hiccup.

After one final hug from Elsa he boarded the ship with his mom and waved goodbye to that kind girl who was his first true friend in the entire world. Only with the passage of time will the friendship grow into something more.


	3. Loss and Revealing's

Authors Notes: Well here is the third chapter, I am keeping with my every three weeks schedule. I wrote this chapter back in March 2014 before HTTYD 2 came out, to which you will notice soon enough in this chapter. Expect all future chapter to be of this length or longer. Thank you all who favorited my story or left a review. I would like to thank: Noctus Fury, Orca3553, Red Star, Ravenx1988, and other guests.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_** **or DreamWorks:** ** _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

Chapter Three

 _Loss and Revealing's_

It was a cold day in Arendelle as the Viking ship arrived once again at the port of Arendelle, the first person to get off the ship was Gobber, Stoick's right hand man. The experienced Viking, who had lost two limbs to dragons, was now assigned to escort the son of the chief to the gates of the castle then leave. Not much fanfare was needed, just to drop off then leave. Berk needed their only blacksmith back as soon as possible, two weeks without one was scary enough, let alone with dragons making daily raids against the village.

"Well Hiccup, this is it. Remember stay strong, you're becoming a young man now. Vikings don't cry, we endure" Gobber said to the now four foot young lad.

"Yes, Gobber" Hiccup went to hug him, but Gobber avoided it and hobbled back to the ship.

Frowning, Hiccup turned around and walked to the castle gates where he was stopped by the Royal Guards.

"What is your name and purpose for coming to the castle?" The tall Royal Guardsman asked in a gruff voice.

"My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, son of Stoick the Vast from the Isle of Berk. I am here to see Princess Elsa."

The Guard passed along the message to the Captain of the Guards, and about three minutes later the doors opened to show Elsa and her mother. Elsa ran over to him and hugged him.  
"Hiccup it has been too long, did you miss me?" Elsa asked excitedly.

As he put his head on her shoulder and his arms circled around her waist he put on the best fake smile he could muster.

"Of course I did Elsa, I can't wait to play with you again and learn more things about the world, and I have read all the books you sent me last year." As she talked more, he looked behind her to see the Queen talking to the guards, most likely about why he was left standing out in the cold instead of being allowed inside or possibly something else.

"Hiccup? Hiccup?" Elsa asked.

"Hmm, what?"

"I asked are you ready to go inside?" Elsa replied pulling out of the hug.

Hiccup looked down and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Oh, yes. Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the warm castle, though he didn't register that warmth, instead he was feeling heat coming from the hand of Elsa. A warmth that he hadn't felt in so long, nearly two years to be exact.

Hiccup dropped his books off in the library that he had received from the King and Queen via Trader Johann then went over to his room; the room had not changed except for a more firm mattress, which reminded him of home. The wood that he had slept on for years had transformed his back from soft to hard, allowing him to endure more punishment, so much so he hardly felt anything when he slipped or fell on his back.

The room was clean, there was hardly in dust in the air that he could see in the rays of sun beaming in from the window. Moving over to the window he propped it open to feel the cool wind blowing across the fjord.

He unloaded his satchel onto his bed, he put away his clothes in the drawers, and the tools he got from Gobber he put them under the bed.

Then as he was shaking the bag out a square frame fell out onto the floor. He picked it up and turned it over revealing a portrait of his mother and him. He just stared at it for what seemed like hours, his fingers brushing over the face of his mother again and again. Tears began to form in front of his eyes; he wiped them away furiously, even holding back a sniffle.

He thought he heard a knock at his door, but didn't turn; he just kept staring at his mother.

"Hiccup? Lunch is ready." Elsa said to him.

She saw him turn to her, eyes teary.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" She asked moving into the room, closing the door behind her.

He looked at her, his only friend in the world. Her hair had grown to just past her shoulders, it woven into a single long braid. And the front of her hair had a part in it on the left side of her forehead. She was wearing a blue skirt and sweater with black shoes.

"Yes, of course" Hiccup replied before sniffling again.

Elsa looked at the picture of him and his mom, Elsa had been told by her parents not to talk about Hiccup's mother in front of him. To give him some time to himself, before asking.

"You know Hiccup, it is okay to cry."

"No, I must not cry because Vikings don't cry on Berk." Shaking his head in response.

Elsa just looked at him before speaking again, "Hiccup, we are not on Berk, let it go."

Hiccup looked back at Elsa and blinked then dropped the frame and collapsed onto the floor. He put his head into his hands and let everything he had been holding in for two years out. He cried until he felt Elsa come up to him and wrapped her arms around his stomach, he turned in her grasp and looked at her with his large green tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He wheezed out, turning his head from side to side, the tears rolling down his cheeks and falling onto his tunic.

"You don't have to be sorry Hiccup, just let it go, let it all go." Elsa said as she turned his head toward her neck and shoulder.

And he did, he cried his eyes out, letting everything that had festered in him for over two years go out of him and onto Elsa's shoulder.

He tried to talk, but another wave of tears came out. Finally he was able to speak "a dragon, a dragon took my mother away from me," more tears came out. "I…I miss her so much" Hiccup said as another tremor took ahold of his body, his hands moving to grip Elsa's sweater to pull her closer to him . Elsa just stayed silent letting her friend cry, she didn't want to offend him by saying she knew how he felt because she didn't. She had never lost anyone, so she didn't know what to feel at that moment. Elsa just repeated what she had said moments ago "let it go," she would repeat that mantra till Hiccup had gotten everything out and was ready to talk.

Idun heard everything through the closed door, Kai and Gerda came down the hallway having heard the crying before stopping about a few feet short of the Queen. She looked at them and waved them off, before leaving herself to allow her daughter to take care of Hiccup. She did not want to show up as a mother in Hiccup's room, being that he would become envious of Elsa since he lost his mother to a dragon raid. Even though she could still be alive, the chances of being taken by a dragon and not being killed were extremely low. No, she would give her daughter and Hiccup some room to advance their friendship, a friendship that would lead to a loving relationship hopefully a few years down the road.

* * *

"Hiccup, come on already, you have been studying and reading for three weeks straight, let's take a break and explore the forest a bit." Elsa said as Hiccup popped his head up from behind the wall of books he had been reading in his corner of the library. Hiccup discovered something about himself while in the small library, he loved to read, read about mathematics, science, and something called engineering. He liked the way the people in the books had created massive things that brought people and kingdoms together, and he loved looking at the hand drawn pictures. This was something he wanted to do in the future, he wanted to build.

After marking the place where he had stopped reading, he stretched hearing several muscles pop as he did so. He then followed Elsa out of the castle and into the nearby forest which was located beyond the town.

"Elsa, do your parents know we left?" Hiccup asked realizing they had left out the back way as if to avoid arousing suspicion.

"No." Elsa replied nonchalantly

"Umm, won't we get in trouble for sneaking out?" Now really worried that they will get in deep trouble. Normally he would head back home since whenever he followed the other children on Berk they would always play a trick on him or lay a trap for him and laugh at his expense.

"Not if we are home, before they notice."

"Umm, ok, if you say so." Hiccup replied not wanting to chicken out. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Valley of the Living Rock." Elsa replied as she started to skip joyfully down the grassy path.

"What's that?" Hiccup asked as he picked up his pace.

"I heard it's a place where the rocks come alive and actually speak to you."

"Amazing." Hiccup replied excitedly.

Hiccup took Elsa's hand as they went deeper into the woods.

High above them laid storm clouds that were quickly gathering in strength, as they swirled and mixed together they let forth a single snowflake which was followed by billions more.

Hiccup looked up to see it was snowing, having lived on Berk for over seven years he was used to this kind of weather, so he continued on, wanting to see a real live troll. He really wanted to see if they would take his left sock as Gobber said they would.

"Dear, where are Hiccup and Elsa? I can't find them anywhere" Agdar asked Idun as he came to an intersection in the hallways.

"I do not know, I have been looking for them everywhere." Idun replied, her voice laced with worry.

Anna skipped up to them in a sing song voice "I know where they are, mama."

"Where Anna? Where are the children?" Both asked fervently.

"In a place called Valley of the Living Rock" Anna replied happily before skipping off to her room.

"The Valley of the Living Rock; in this weather?!" The King yelled looking out of one of the massive windows flanking the side of the hallway to see snow coming down in sheets.

"My goodness, they will freeze to death!" She said grabbing her chest.

"Guards, Guards!" The King shouted.

Almost immediately the captain of the guards and a few men came running.

"Sir, what is wrong?" Captain Birger asked. The man looked formidable with his dark blue dress uniform with red shoulder epaulets and a black plumed bowler hat in his hand.

"Elsa and Hiccup left the castle to go to the Valley of the Living Rock, find them and bring back immediately."

"Yes, Sir!" The Captain and his guards left the hallway gathering more than a dozen men to use for the search.

As Birger took his men into the stables to get the horses he called out the orders, "listen up! Princess Elsa and Hiccup, Son of Berk have left the castle grounds and are believed to be at the Valley of the Living Rock. We are to find them and bring them back to the castle! Understood?" He yelled to his men as they were preparing their horses. Saddles being strapped on and coats for the horses being secured.

"Yes, Sir!" they replied back in one voice.

"Good, now Erik take four men and come in from the South, Baldur the East, Kjell the West and I will take the North. We will meet in the center, everyone ready?" He asked his men who were sitting on their respective horses, supplies and blankets behind them and they themselves wrapped in their thick green winter coats.

"Yes, Sir!" They replied in unison once again.

"Good, now ride!" He yelled as they galloped out of the stables past the gates and into the massive snowed filled forest.

"Elsa, I'm don't think this was a good idea." Hiccup said to Elsa as he leaned against a tree trunk.

The once peaceful dry forest was now covered in an ankle high blanket of snow; his measly fur vest gave little protection from the elements.

"Come on Hiccup, it's not that cold."

" _Why don't I feel cold, it's well below freezing and it is snowing, but I don't feel cold at all. Hiccup lives farther North than I and even he is having trouble staying warm."_ Elsa thought as she looked at Hiccup who was stumbling from tree to tree. She could see his breath coming out in long plumes.

She went over to him and guided him to a dry clearing underneath a large tree, Hiccup hugged his legs to his chest to try and bring warm to himself, but it didn't work seem to work. As she put her arms around his body to give him a little bit of her warmth, she saw that his skin was turning pale and his lips, ears, and fingers were now blue.

"Hiccup can you hear me? Say something" Elsa urged to her young Viking friend.

"I…I'mmm sooo cccold, I ddon't feeeel myyy ffingerrss" He replied in a labored breath.

Hiccup was taking large breaths of air, every one of them sounded as if his lungs were being squeezed by someone's hand.

"Howw mmuchh fartherr to thee Vaalleyy? Maybe maybe weee cann makee it." Hiccup asked.

"Not much farther, but we should wait till the storm passes completely, before we go on." Elsa replied looking up at the sky to see that the storm was tapering off.

"I…I wouldd try ttoo walkk, but I…I can'tt feeel myy feeet." Hiccup said stuttering nearly every word.

Elsa was becoming scared now; she might have possibly led her friend to his death, just because she wanted to see those stupid rocks.

"Elllssaa?" Hiccup asked, eyes now drooping.

"Yes Hiccup what is it?"

"Whyy arree wee outtsiddeee, thee casttlee wasss sooo warmm, whyy did wee leaveee?" Hiccup asked confused trying to keep his head from falling back against the tree.

"Hiccup don't you remember, we left to see the trolls." Elsa said while bringing him even closer to her, trying desperately to warm her friend.

"Noo. Elssaa I wanttt youu to knowww that youu are myy best friendd in the wholleee world, youu have treatedd me betterrr thann my ownn fatherr." Hiccup replied sleepily, eye lids nearly shut.

"Hiccup?"

"…"

"Hiccup!?" Elsa screamed, shaking him.

"Hmmm, whattt isss ittt? I amm sooo tired."

"Hiccup, please stay awake, don't close your eyes" Elsa pleaded to him.

"Don't worryyy I won'tt fall asleeep. I will, I willl just resst my eyes." Hiccup said as he closed his eyes, his breaths getting shorter and quieter.

"Hiccup? Hiccup?!" She yelled, but got no reply. She looked around her, looking for anything, anyone to help her, but there was none. Tears came to her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks, her friend was dying and it was all her fault.

"Help! Help anyone!" she yelled at the top of her voice into the old forest. The only response was the swaying of the trees and the occasional snow flake that landed onto her head.

She took her hand and wiped her tears away, but something caught her eye. Her hand had a bluish white glow on it, looking closer she saw that there was a mini snow ball hovering above her palm, swirling and moving. Frightened she flicked her wrist away from her and the snowball shot out and exploded beautifully nearly a dozen yards or so away from them. She felt mixed emotions flowing toward her hands and out her fingertips forming more balls of snow, she flicked her wrist once again this time toward the sky, the snowball went above the tree tops and exploded into hundreds of snowflakes. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened a little in amazement of the beautiful sight.

Suddenly she heard a twig snap and immediately put a protective hold around Hiccups still form.

"Hello! Anyone there?" Elsa asked urgently into the snowy fog.

"Princess Elsa?" A voice asked.

 _"_ _Finally some help_." She thought with joy. "Yes, I am Princess Elsa."

"Hey guys, over here, I found them!" The voice called out.

Out of the fog came a Royal Guardsman riding on a horse.

He leapt off the horse and ran over to her, "Are you alright Princess Elsa?" He asked calmly while kneeling to look over the young princess.

"Yes, I am, but Hiccup won't wake up." She replied with tears coming down her face.

As she said those words, three more Royal Guards came running up to them, two carrying a blanket and one a whistle.

One of the Guards took hiccup out of her arms and wrapped him tightly in the blanket holding him to his chest while the second Guard came to her and put another blanket around her. The third Guard walked a little bit away before blowing three times into the whistle; in the distance she heard three separate whistles.

A moment later she saw the Captain of the Guards and a few more men come riding to their area.

"What is the condition of Mr. Hiccup?" Birger asked.

"Sir, Mr. Hiccup has what appears to be severe hypothermia. If we don't get him back to the castle soon, he won't make it." Erik replied quickly.

"Okay, Erik take Hiccup and get on the horse, Sven get on the horse too and take the reins. Put Hiccup in between you, two warm bodies is better than one."

The men did as they were ordered.

"Now, ride straight for the castle, and tell the physician what happened. Go!" The captain said slapping the horse on its ass sending it speeding away.

"Baldur, Kjell take your groups and ensure their success, Go!"

"Yes, Sir!" And off they went providing security for the wounded Hiccup.

"Princess Elsa, are you ready to go home?" He asked extending her his hand.  
"Yes" Elsa replied taking his hand

He helped her up and secured her onto his horse.

"Now, hold on tight."

" " She replied grasping onto his coat.

Seconds later they were galloping toward the castle away from the frozen death that became the forest.

* * *

The Royal Guards that were stationed at the castles gates were on the lookout for the Captain and his men, suddenly out of the wintery fog came two groups of men, with one horse out in front with what appeared to be three riders.

"Open the gates!" The gate guards shouted.

The men were barely able to open it just wide enough before a horse came through galloping at full speed before skidding to a stop feet from the entrance doors.

"We need a physician immediately!" Erik shouted getting off the horse and running into the castle nearly out of breath.

The castles physician was an old balding man with decades of experience from both peace and war times.

"Quickly, give him to me." Doctor Aaron said as Erik gave him the lifeless Hiccup, arms sagging towards the ground.

The doctor laid Hiccup down onto a bare wooden table near a fireplace that had a roaring fire in it.

"Nurses, help me take off his wet clothes." The two young nurses did as he asked, taking off his clothes down to his lower dry loincloth.

"Now, we need to put his dry clothes on, and then we can start to rewarm him." Moments later Hiccup was redressed in his usual attire, still looking pale, but alive nonetheless.

"Nurse, boil some water, get two glass bottles and two cloth bags to place them in. We also need blankets, go." Aaron said and the nurses went their separate ways to gather the supplies.

"Erik, bring a mattress in here and put it in the corner." He pointed to the corner furthest away from the window that lay in the center of the wall.

"Sir." Erik clicked his heels together then left to retrieve the mattress.

A moment later he returned and placed the mattress in the corner near the fire place.

"Doctor, I have brought the hot water and the bottles" the nurse said as she placed the items on the table away from Hiccup.

"OK, now carefully put the glass bottle in the cloth bag and pour the boiling water in to it, cork it and wrap the rest of the cloth around the bottle to insulate it." Aaron said to the young woman, who looked no older than twenty.

The second nurse came in with many blankets laying them down on the table next to her sister, who was wrapping the second bottle.

"Ready doctor." The nurse answered.

Aaron grasped the clothed hot water bottle seeing if it burned his hand, it didn't.

"Good, now place them under his armpits," they did as he asked "now, what comes next might sound unusual but it is necessary to save his life. Understand?"

"Anything doctor." The nurses replied.

"Now, we need to wrap him in a blanket and rewarm him through body heat, too much heat at once can cause his blood to rush back to his heart, which will kill him." The older man said in a calm voice.

"You," he pointed to the older of the two nurses "lay down on the mattress." The eldest sister did as instructed lying down on the mattress.

"And you," pointing to the younger sister "wrap him tightly in the blanket and place Hiccup in between you two and hug him to your sister; understand."

"Yes, doctor" she did as she was told and a moment later, Hiccup was sandwiched in-between two warm bodies.

The doctor himself took another blanket and laid it across the three occupants, then went over to the fireplace and stoked the fire. Grabbing a log and tossed it into the fire, which caused the fire to flare up and expel its heat into the room.

"I need to inform the King and Queen of his condition, yell if he wakes up or his condition changes" the older man said to his two nurses.

"Yes, doctor" the two replied dutifully.

As the doctor closed the door he leaned against the far wall and wiped his face, which had been dribbling with sweat. He saw that Erik had not strayed from the vicinity and was looking expectedly at him.

"Stay by this door and come get me if my nurses yell, understand?"

"Yes, Sir." Erik replied with a salute.

He nodded his head and made his way to the royal chambers, after a few moments he arrived at their door and knocked.

"Come in" he heard Agdar say through the door.

Opening the door he found Elsa sitting on the bed being scolded by both parents, he quickly made his way over to Elsa and checked to see that she was alright.

"Strange, you're warm. You don't show any signs of hypothermia." The doctor said scratching his head in bewilderment.

"Yes, she is and will stay that way for months to come since she is now banned from leaving the castle grounds." The King said as he looked at Elsa angrily.

"But father I didn't know it was going to snow!" Elsa cried out.

The King was going to retort but the doctor interrupted him.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Hiccup's fate is in God's hands now, if he wakes up he will live and if he doesn't…" The doctor's voice faded out.

He heard a gasp followed by the beginnings of crying coming from Elsa.

"Your Majesty, whatever punishment you have for Elsa fails in all categories, especially when Elsa believes that she could have possibly just killed her best friend." The older man responded in a hushed tone. "That thought alone is worse than several months' groundings."

"Yes, I suppose it is," The King said in a calmer tone. "When will we know for sure?"

"In a few hours; next morning for sure. Even if he survives, he will be bedridden for days." Agdar nodded his head in response to the consensus.

"Of course, one day at a time. Thank you Doctor Aaron." The King said to the veteran doctor, who could have just possibly saved his future son-in-law.

"Yes, anytime. I will now attend to my patient, goodnight your Majesty, my Queen."

"Goodnight" Idun and Agdar replied closing the door and then turning to have a serious talk with their daughter.

* * *

The next morning came with soft snores from two nurses and one doctor; said doctor was asleep on a chair next to the nurses. Slowly sunlight started pouring in from one of the windows, which creepily spread across the floor, up the chair and up the doctor's body till it reached his face. The man blinked toward the sunlight and put his hand in front of his face to block the bright light. As he got up to stretch he walked over to the nurses and the lump that lay in-between them, he slowly tugged down the blanket to reveal Hiccup breathing in through his nose thus not creating a snore.

"He's alive, thank you God." The over relieved doctor said in a whisper.

There was a knock at the door, he turned around and went out said door to see many guards, the Agdar, Idun, Anna and Elsa waiting with expectant looks.

A lone tear fell down his face, but he smiled "he's alive, he will pull through."

Everyone let out a breath, some leaning against the walls and other bringing their hands up to their chest in relief.

"May we see him?" The Royal family asked, almost in unison.

"In a moment, I need to move some things around" he said before moving back into the room and gently waking the nurses, who in turn fixed up the room including rewrapping Hiccup in a fresh blanket and restarting the fire.

"Go get yourselves something to eat and bring some sweets back for Hiccup, he needs food with energy."

"Yes, doctor" the two replied before moving out of the room.

The tired doctor looked down at Hiccup and watched him as he released breath after breath confirming that he wasn't going to leave this world just yet. He walked over to him and lifted his head up sliding a pillow underneath his head, before gently putting his head back down and stroking his hair.

He walked back out to the Royal Family and nodded his head to them, allowing them to come inside and look at the sleeping Hiccup. Elsa walked over and sat down on the mattress beside her sleeping friend, she stroked his hair and just watched him sleep, and relieved she had not ended her friend's life.

After a few moments Idun spoke up. "Elsa come on; let us give the doctor some space to work."

"I would like to stay till he wakes up" She responded, not removing her eyes from Hiccups prone body.

"Elsa, you ne…" the Queen started before being interrupted by the doctor. Normally no one dared interrupt the Queen, but she let her old friend interrupt her as long as it was important.

"It's alight your Majesty, I need to freshen up anyway." He said to the two before turning to look at Elsa, "You do realize it could be hours or days before he awakens?"

"Yes, I will stay with him till he awakens no matter what. I owe him that much at least." She responded in a hushed tone.

"Alright then, come get me when he wakes up."

Elsa didn't reply, she just stared at Hiccup.

Slowly everyone filtered out of the room leaving the two alone.

"Hiccup I am so sorry for everything, please wake up, I don't want to live without you. You bring so much excitement to my otherwise boring day, even if it is only for one month out of three years. Anna and I have fun when you are not here but you bring a breath of fresh air to this old castle." Elsa whispered as tears came rolling down her cheeks down and onto her sweater, she reached out and fished for his hand before finding it and grasping it.

"I will always be by your side either as your friend or something more; I will always be here for you to talk to or as a shoulder to cry on, I…I care so much about you and would hate to lose you, so please wake up." Elsa finished as she look down at Hiccups face wondering if he was dreaming and if he was, was she in said dream.

It had been nearly four days since the incident and Hiccup had not yet woken up, Elsa was growing more and more worried. She never left Hiccups side except to follow him when he was transferred to his room, a more softer bed was brought in; his harder bed was put aside for the time being. She now slept beside him at night and read her books near him during the day, she even ate her meals in his room, and the only time she left him was for the bathroom. Naturally her parents were concerned that she would make herself ill with being confined to one room for such a long period of time.

"Elsa, you need to take a bath, you smell rancid" Her mother told her while pinching her nose with her thumb and index finger.

"But mom, what if Hiccup wakes up and I am not here?" Elsa replied alarmed at the thought of leaving Hiccup alone.

"If he does wake up, then we will fetch you after you are done."

"No, I won't leave until Hic…" Elsa wasn't able to finish her sentence because of a groan that was heard behind her.

"Uggh, my head hurts." Hiccup said as he slowly sat up and put his hand to his head to cradle it.

"Hiccup!" Elsa cried as she leapt onto Hiccup.

Hiccup had the wind knocked out of him as Elsa's head made contact with his chest.

"And a hello to you to." Hiccup replied.

As he looked up at Elsa who was now on top of him, one thing ran past his mind that was slowly taking a hold of him.

"Elsa, you need a bath, you smell rancid."

Idun gave a chuckle as her daughter went red faced, sat back and crossed her arms.

"Well you don't smell like a garden of roses either Hiccup."

"That may be true but I will take one as soon as I get some food into my belly, I am famished." He replied clutching his stomach.

And so after eating lunch and being bathed, the pair was in the library catching up on their studies that had been pushed aside because of Hiccup's incident. He wore a green and purple robe that was given to him by one of the maids after he changed into a fresh set of clothes.

* * *

"Now, Mr. Hiccup 'why does water freeze?'" Ms. Hornsby asked looking up from her textbook.

"All molecules, including water molecules are constantly moving. Heat makes them move faster, cooling slows them down. When water gets cool enough, molecular movement is slowed enough that the molecules stick to each other and form ice crystals." Hiccup replied with ease.

"Very good Mr. Hiccup. Princess Elsa name three comedies done by Shakespeare."

"The Comedy of Errors, Love's Labour's Lost and The Tempest" Elsa also replied with ease.

"Very good you two, that is all for this session. Mr. Hiccup I will see you again in three years" Ms. Hornsby said to Hiccup while extending her hand; he took it and gave a good handshake.

"Until next time" she said before leaving the two children alone.

"Where does the time go Hiccup? It feels like only yesterday that you were arriving at the castle," Elsa said as she turned toward him and gave him a small sad smile.

"Honestly I don't know, but four of those days I was asleep. And hey you still have me till tomorrow morning. What do you want to do? Anything you want." Hiccup said trying to uplift the mood.

"Anything? Hmm, let us talk about day to day life on Berk. Since you already know what life is like here in Arendelle." Elsa asked

"Hmm, okay fair enough."

And so Hiccup filled her in on daily life on Berk including living with dragons that tried to destroy their village with weekly raids. He also told her about living with a father where nothing was ever good enough and finally having no friends or having a friend one day and the next they bullied you or made fun of you.

Elsa had gone to bed feeling awful for Hiccup; everyone was always nice to her and her sister Anna. Whether it was because they truly liked her or because she was a princess; he had hoped it was the former. As she got up to see Hiccup off, she put on her best winter outfit and went to the library where the new books for Hiccup were waiting. She walked down the hallway to see Hiccup closing the door to his room with his satchel filled with his clothing and materials.

"Hiccup, wait for me" Elsa called out.

Hiccup turned and waited for Elsa.

"You look nice today, not to say that you don't look nice everyday" Hiccup said quickly trying to recover from what he thought would have been a rude comment.

"Thank you" Elsa said as her face turned crimson.

Neither said anything for a moment as they walked out of the castle, a Royal Guard following close behind.

"Are those the books for me?" Hiccup asked breaking the momentary silence.

"Oh yes, here you go." Elsa replied while handing over the books to Hiccup who dumped them into his satchel.

Hiccup could see the King and Queen talking to Gobber; he still remembered when it had been his mom that had come to pick him up and not the blacksmith.

"Well, I guess this is it till next time" Hiccup said as he put his bag onto the gangplank and turned to look at Elsa.

"Yes, till next time" she replied sadly.

Hiccup took the initiative and hugged Elsa to him, surprising her, but returned the gesture eagerly. "Thank you for everything, I will count the days till we see each other again."

"I too" Elsa said.

"Hiccup! Come on. We don't want to waste good winds on hugs now!" Gobber shouted to the pair. Slowly the pair separated before they said their final goodbyes and watched as they drifted farther and farther apart.

As Elsa walked with her mom and dad she turned to them, "Mother, Father I discovered something about myself in the forest. I can make magic, I was able to make snowballs form in the palm of my hand. What… what is wrong with me?" Elsa asked looking up at her parents only to receive looks of horror and realization.

One thought raced through both their minds _"A power no man has ever possessed."_

They now knew what power had been given to their daughter and it was the power to control ice and snow. The King looked down at his eldest daughter and asked how she discovered her powers and she told him everything. " _So it is controlled by emotions_." He thought to himself. "Elsa it may be hard for you to understand but you must try and limit your use of these powers until we can figure out what is the true extent of them." Agdar told Elsa.

"Yes, father. Can I go show Anna my magic?"

Agdar thought for a moment, thinking back to what Gothi had said. " _Your second daughter; holds the key to helping Elsa through her tribulations_." Elsa looked at him expectedly. " _So Anna is the key that can help Elsa with these powers."_

"Yes, you may. Just be careful." He replied.

Elsa ran off to tell Anna about her powers. Agdar turned to Idun who had a look of shock written across her face. "I must dispatch a letter to Gothi and ask if she can help. Surely she will know what to do."

Idun could only nod her head at the realization that Gothi's reading had actually come true. And now her daughter had magical ice powers. She hoped all would turn out well.


	4. Unspoken Feelings

_Authors notes:_ Truth be told I was going to address the criticisms facing my story, but last week my friend and neighbor of sixteen years passed away. He was like a father to me, he taught me how to tie a tie and change the oil in my car, I in turn taught him about computers and how to use a smartphone. We had so many good memories, and it was with disbelief and sadness that I found him dead in his house. His death was preventable if he had only eaten healthier food and taken better care of himself. So I must ask that you all take care of not only yourself but those you care about. Thank you all for the reviews and have a nice day.

 _This chapter is dedicated to:_

 _Craig J. Cochrane 10/11/1955 to 10/3/2015_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_** **or DreamWorks:** ** _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

 _Chapter Four_

 _Unspoken Feelings_

"I'm scared!" Elsa shouted as she backed herself into a corner, a corner covered in ice. "My powers are getting stronger and Hiccup will be here any minute." She pleaded to her parents. Who were looking at their scared daughter with concerned looks.

"It will be alright, remember getting upset will only make it stronger." Adgar said to her as he tried to walk up to her.

"No!" She shouted startling him, "please I don't want to hurt you by accident." Elsa shrank back further into her corner, her closed fists brought up against her chest in a defensive posture.

Both the King and Queen were shocked at her outburst, but were more worried that she might hurt Hiccup by accident.

"Elsa as long as you wear the gloves Hiccup won't know that you have powers and thus you won't be able to hurt him;" Idun reassured her frightened daughter.

Elsa shook her heard. "But, what if the gloves aren't strong enough, what if the ice leaks out?"

"I will have more made, stronger and thicker gloves, everything will be fine Elsa" Agdar tried to comfort his eldest daughter.

"How do you know everything will be fine?" Elsa said as tears formed in front of her eyes, she moved from one corner of the room to the other, feeling claustrophobic.

"You have to believe in yourself to control your powers."

In the distance a loud horn could be heard signaling a ship was sighted.

"Oh no, it's Hiccup. What if he wants to hold my hand or hug me?" Elsa uttered while increasing her paces in the corner.

Her father looked at her and smiled, "then allow him to do so, you are becoming of age where those feelings will start to surface. Maybe in time you will share with him your powers. Believe in yourself and trust him." The King said as he hugged his daughter to him, the Queen joining in.

"Everything will be alright, as long as we are here, you will be safe."

"Alright." Elsa replied returning the hug.

* * *

"Elsa!" Hiccup shouted as he ran off the ship and threw his arms around his best friend.

Elsa slowly returned the gesture, unsure of herself and eyed her gloves to see if any magic leaked out. Nothing did, smiling she pressed herself into Hiccup more.

Pulling out of the hug, Hiccup looked up at Elsa.

"So how have you been since your last letter to me which was about six months I think." Hiccup asked while scratching the back of his head, a sign he was nervous.

Elsa smiled thinking back to the letters she had received from Hiccup, they brought warmth into her otherwise cold room. Oh how she wished she could take the warmth off the pages and wear it like a suit of armor. Whenever she read or wrote a letter, she felt better and more in control of her actions. "I have been well, nothing of significance really. I am learning to draw and paint, though I am horrible at it. Maybe you should take up the class while you are here." Elsa voiced her wishes to her friend.

Hiccup nodded in return, "maybe I will. I think I am good at drawing, but have yet to try painting. We don't have access to those materials on Berk, perhaps if I take some materials home with me, I can paint you a picture of Berk."

Elsa smiled at the idea, "that sounds like a wonderful idea."

Hiccup returned the smile, then he took a good look at his friend. His face turned crimson, "hmm, you are taller than me by about a good inch or two. You are also bigger." Hiccup said to her as he started to see the distinct changes from then and now.

Elsa returned the blush with one of her own; she too had noticed that certain changes were happening to her body. Such as an increase to hair over her body and that her chest was growing. She was thinking of asking her mother of helping her to shave. And one thing stood out most of all and that was that she looked at her friend Hiccup in a way that was foreign to her. She started to think about him more and more in ways that were not suitable for just friends.

"Elsa? Elsa?" She heard Hiccup ask, "Hmm, what?"

"You were just staring at me, though I don't mind since you were smiling the entire time, it did kind of scare me a little."

"Oh, sorry I was just thinking."

"I could tell; do you want to go inside?" he asked gesturing to the castle.

"Of course, let's go." Elsa said then began walking to the castle past all the merchants and guards with Hiccup close behind.

As they came inside Anna came out of nowhere and launched herself onto Hiccup who was knocked to the ground.

"Hiccup! I missed you so much!" Anna shouted as she latched onto Hiccup, hugging him.

Elsa just watched as her sister hugged her friend, but for some reason instead of smiling she frowned. She did not want to share Hiccup with anyone else even her own sister.

Anna got off of Hiccup and stepped back as he stood up, dusting himself off.

"Hiccup do you want to build a snowman?" Anna asked excitedly looking at him with wide eyes and a huge smile.

Hiccup was about to answer, but glanced at Elsa, who was frowning at them.

"Maybe later Anna, I just got off a ship that I had been on for nearly a week. But I promise to build one with you later this week." Hiccup replied smiling.

"Alright, but remember you promised." Anna said before skipping down the hall toward her room.

Elsa and Hiccup stared at each other for a moment, "are you okay Elsa? You were frowning the entire time Anna was hugging me."

"Huh? Of course, come on let's get you unpacked." Elsa said before grabbing his hand and all but dragging him toward her and his rooms.

Elsa could feel all sorts of emotions brewing inside her, but one thing she could feel clearly was that her hand had been previously cold which instantly went away when Hiccup gripped her hand in return. She suddenly felt better about herself and more confident. Perhaps she could trust Hiccup with her secret, since her powers lessened when he was near.

"So how are things on Berk, what have you been up to?" She asked wondering what had happened in between the last letter and now.

"Oh nothing much, I have started an apprenticeship under Gobber for being a blacksmith. You know build some muscle." Hiccup said as he put a hand around his arm wishing he had muscle there.

"Oh, good for you." Elsa replied with a chuckle.

"When will you start your training to become queen?" He asked setting his stuff down on the bed, then moving around the room to put things away.

"Not for another two years, on our next meeting we will learn foreign languages which we will use a lot when we become King and Queen" Elsa spoke before quickly adding "I mean Queen and Chief." She said trying to save herself from implying that they would be married or something.

Hiccup didn't speak for a moment, this worried Elsa. " _Is he thinking that we would be together in the future?"_

"Me? Chief? Are you joking? I would have to do some serious growing to become Chief, plus that training doesn't start for another six years, when I become sixteen. I'd rather explore than to rule over people." Hiccup said while laughing.

" _Saved."_ Elsa thought before joining Hiccup in laughing.

Hiccup got onto the bed and patted the spot next to him after taking off his boots. He leaned back against the headboard waiting for Elsa to join him.

Elsa wavered and looked down at her hands before jumping onto the bed and taking the spot where his hand had been. Hiccup smiled at her and she returned it, before closing his eyes and resting against the soft pillow.

"Elsa, I know we are a little old for naps, but do you mind if I take one?" Hiccup asked sleepily.

Elsa looked at him for a moment wondering why he had invited her up only to take a nap a minute later.

"Umm, sure Hiccup." Elsa replied moving to get off the bed before she was stopped by Hiccup's hand on her shoulder.

"Can you stay? I know it sounds weird, but having you nearby has always made me feel happy and safe." Hiccup asked with a small blush.

Elsa's face turned bright red before she glanced again at her gloved hands. "Certainly Hiccup, anything for you." She leaned back against the pillow with her head resting against the quilted headboard. Hiccup put his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes before drifting off to sleep.

As she laid there with a sleeping Viking on her shoulder, who occasionally shifted closer to her from time to time. She had time to think about her friendship with said Viking. " _He feels happy and safe with me nearby; usually I only instill fear into other people including my own family. What is he to me? Or a better question is what do I want him to be to me?_ _I obviously like him; my own body seems to be telling me that. I mean whenever he smiles at me, I feel butterflies in my stomach and my face grows hot._ _Uggh, what is wrong with me? He is my best and only friend, I shouldn't be having these feelings for my best friend, and I need to speak to mom. Surely she will have an answer. Though maybe later, best enjoy the moment,"_ Elsa thought before placing her head on Hiccup's and taking in his scent which smelled like mint and pine trees. " _He smells nice, uhh there I go again."_

* * *

A week passed by with amazing speed and Elsa was nowhere to be found, becoming bored he remembered his promise to Anna. "Hmm, I owe Anna a snowman," looking outside to see a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. He dressed in his winter clothes which included more furs than anything else. After pulling on his boots, he walked out of his room and saw Anna in the hallway talking to a painting?

"Hey Anna want to build a snowman?" Hiccup shouted down the hallway.

Anna's head whipped to the direction of Hiccup's voice and she jumped off the couch and leaped in his direction. Hiccup was taken aback by her enthusiasm and took a physical step back thinking she was going to crash into him, but thankfully she stopped only a foot from him.

"Really? You are not jesting?" She asked hesitant.

"Yes, of course. A promise is a promise and I don't break my promises that I make with my friends" Hiccup replied smiling.

"That would be most wonderful" she replied happily before taking his hand and pulling him into the gardens that was in the rear of the castle

Slowly but surely they gathered together snow and rolled it into three balls each a different size, one for the base, one for the torso and one for the head. They found some sticks that had broken off from a nearby tree; Anna went inside to get some coal and a carrot to act as some aesthetics. Hiccup looked around for a piece of ice to serve as the snowman's teeth, finding a recently fallen icicle; he broke it down to a manageable size. Returning to the snowman he found Anna had already returned and was waiting patiently for him to provide the final piece. After carefully aligning the teeth he clapped Anna on the shoulder, "All done, well what do you want to name him?"

"Hmm, how about Olav?" Anna asked looking up at him; at least he was taller than one person in the castle.

"Olav? Wasn't he the king of this kingdom a few hundred years ago?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes he was. Good to see you are paying attention at the tutor sessions." Anna responded with a knowing smile.

"Paying attention? Of course I listen, I love to read and learn. By the way how are you and Elsa doing, you two don't seem to talk much." Hiccup asked hesitantly.

Anna walked around the snowman to a bench that lay barren under an old tree. She sat down and patted the seat next to her. Hiccup walked over and sat down, looking perplexed by the attitude change.

"We don't talk much anymore; we don't even play together anymore. One day we were happy, playing together in the snow and the next she shut herself away in her room and didn't come out for an entire month. I asked mama and papa about it, but even they won't tell me, only something about teachings the first born must know in order to become queen. You are the only person she talks to besides our parents." Anna admitted before looking away toward Olav.

" _She talks to me more than her own sister? Perhaps I should ask her about it. No, she didn't ask about my mom when she was taken by the dragons, I should respect her privacy. She will tell me when she is ready."_ Hiccup thought while looking at Olav too. It seemed he was basking in the last rays of the sun that was slowly setting behind the mountains.

"Well, it is getting late, want to go inside and have dinner?" Anna asked getting up from her spot on the bench.

"Certainly." Hiccup responded walking past Olav and tapping him on the head causing his carrot nose to fall off and bury itself in the snow below.

* * *

Elsa walked down the deserted hallway toward her parent's chambers. She was embarrassed and scared of having to ask these questions to her mother. The Royal Guards bowed their heads toward the princess and opened the outer door, which allowed her to walk up to the second inner door. She hesitantly knocked on the thick oak door, hearing a 'enter' she pushed the door open to reveal her father sitting behind a desk and her mother reading on the bed.

Her father had a frustrated look on his face as he held a piece of parchment. That piece of parchment had just arrived from Gothi telling him the same thing all her previous letters to him had said about how to control Elsa's powers. It was just a few words, 'Love will conquer all.' Needless to say Agdar was not amused. He asked for actual instructions on how to counter this curse. Even though she was born with these powers, they were nothing but trouble from that previous night on.

He had written to Gothi many times but each time she had written back with those four words, either she did not know to counter the curse or refused to help him. It wasn't like he could force Gothi to tell him, which in turn would ruin the alliance he had with Stoick. They were sending coal and oils to Berk while Stoick was sending back precious metals and dragon hides. Dragon pelts made amazing belts and furniture. Now he couldn't ask the trolls since they too did not have anything to give to his questions on how to be rid of Elsa's powers. He had fallen out of contact with them since that night at the Valley of the Living Rock.

Alas he would have to look elsewhere for help, perhaps to another country where they were more advanced in the art of sciences and medicine.

Idun looked up from her book and smiled "Elsa, what is it, is everything alright?" She asked gently to her eldest daughter.

"Yes, everything is alright, I was just wondering if we can talk privately?" She said gently casting her eyes to her feet.

Idun looked at her husband and wordlessly told him to leave the room so she and her daughter could talk privately.

Agdar got up from his seat with a sigh and walked out the door closing it behind him, letter in hand.

She patted the bed to get Elsa's attention; Elsa crossed the room and climbed onto the bed. She couldn't look at her mother; she was too embarrassed.

"Elsa, is this about your feelings for Hiccup?" Her mother asked, calmly taking Elsa's hair in to her hands and began to braid it.

Elsa's head shot up and looked at her mother in disbelief. "How did you know?"

Idun smiled knowingly and took her daughters' ungloved hand into hers. "Elsa, I know that your body is changing and so are your feelings for Hiccup. What you are feeling is love, which is perfectly normal for your age."

"Love? I don't love Hiccup, I can't love him, because he is my best friend." Elsa said pulling her hand away and crossing her arms.

"Elsa, you are very lucky to fall in love with a man before you marry him. I and your father were forced to marry each other before we really even knew the other. But, you get to know him for years before you two take that step." She told Elsa before she knew what she was saying, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to tell her till she was in marrying age.

"What?! Marry Hiccup? I can't marry my best friend; I am just developing these feelings." Elsa said as she started to stutter, ice slowly crept out of her hands and on to her gown.

The Queen looked at her daughter and decided to come clean, seeing that she had already come this far. "Elsa, when you were two years old we setup a marriage contract between you and Hiccup; but decided to let you two choose on when to tie the knot. Hiccup I am sure doesn't know about the contract just yet. Stoick will most likely wait till he has become an adult before he tells him of the contract. And you two don't have to marry immediately, you can take your time." She reassured her daughter by taking ahold of her hands, which caused the ice to recede.

"But still, he is my best friend" Elsa countered with a distraught look on her face.

Idun smiled down at her daughter trying to dispel the fear in her eyes.

"Elsa, do you really see yourself marrying anyone else? Even when you played with the noblemen's children before the incident, you were never interested in being friends with any of the boys. I have seen those looks you give him, you like him a lot and in time you will realize those feelings that churn in your stomach are actually love." She said tilting her daughters head up to look into her blue eyes.

"I developed the same feelings for your father. They were not all of a sudden, and they took time just like yours are."

Elsa looked back at her mother and smiled weakly, knowing that her mother knew how she felt and that it was perfectly normal to have such feelings.

"I understand that, but what is happening to my body?" Elsa asked casting a look down towards her chest.

"Elsa, I think it is time we have a talk about pubescence; get comfortable for this will a confusing and long talk." Idun said to Elsa who leaned back against the pillows.

* * *

Later that night, Hiccup and Anna were in the kitchen eating some chocolates and other sweets when Anna looked up from her plate and asked "So, what are you going to do for Elsa tomorrow since its February fourteenth?"

Hiccup looked up startled and dropped the cookie that was in his hand. He had been taught that the fourteenth of every February was Valentine's Day, a holiday that was meant to bring love to couples or for admirers to send flowers, sweets and cards to individuals they secretly loved. Now Vikings never celebrated these holidays, but Elsa and her family did. Which meant he had to find something for Elsa and quick.

"Oh no, I forgot about Valentine's Day." He said then smacked himself on the head with his hand. "I don't know what to give her. Flowers maybe?"

"We have some Purple Heather in our greenhouse." Anna replied after munching on some taffy.

"Greenhouse?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, it's tucked away in the corner of the gardens. We grow herbs mostly for medicinal purposes."

"Well, that is a start, but I need more." Hiccup said to himself, he put a hand to his chin and wondered what else he could give to Elsa. "Is there anything besides flowers I could give her? What does she use most during the day?" He asked hoping to find out something that could he could possible make for Elsa.

"Well, you could give her chocolates and for some reason she wears gloves all the time. I tried taking them from her for fun, but she got really mad and swatted my hand away."

"Gloves? She wears them inside?" He asked interested in that Elsa wears gloves indoors, outside he could understand, but inside?

Anna nodded her head. "Uhhuh, she wears them everywhere she goes, I think she even wears them in the bathroom."

"Anna, I owe you another snowman." Hiccup said before taking off toward his room. When he arrived he took his crafting tools and set out for the main gates that were closed. He started to notice small things this visit that he hadn't noticed other times, such as that there were less people in the castle and most of the windows were closed. Not only that, but all the gates were closed with more Guards upon the ramparts than in the castle itself.

He found a Royal Guard on a patrol and asked him to take him to a leather crafter in the village. The Guard obliged and opened the gate, then escorted the young Viking to the only leather shop in the village. It was after hours and Hiccup had to hope that either the crafter lived in his workshop or he was working still. As he came upon the door he knocked three times, a moment later the door opened to reveal a rather old man who wore spectacles on the bridge of his nose.

"Sir, my name is Hiccup. I am a Viking from the Isle of Berk. I was wondering if I could use your workshop so I can make a present for Princess Elsa. I will pay you for the materials and time I use at your shop." Hiccup said in his most adult like voice.

The old man looked from him to the Guard to confirm this, the Guard only nodded back.

"Please, come inside young man; you too Sir." He said to Hiccup and the Guard.

Both moved inside with the Guard taking a seat in the back to keep a watchful eye on the young Viking, who if anything happened to him would probably create a real problem for the Guard.

"Now, what do you need from me?" The crafter asked ending down so he could look the young lad in the eye.

"I need some full grain leather, cashmere and some other things. I want to make some leather gloves for Princess Elsa."

"And if this is for tomorrow then we have a long night in front of us." The old man said as he got out his materials and started on creating the outline of the gloves, while Hiccup set to work on weaving together some cashmere for the lining.

Morning had come and gone as Hiccup put the final stitch into the gloves, which he then gave to the master crafter to inspect. He looked over the detail work and made sure it was breathable and would provide a good fit over the wrist and lower arm.

"This is one of the best gloves I have ever seen, you will become a fine leather crafter when you become of age" the older man said handing the gloves to Hiccup.

"What time is it?" Hiccup asked while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

The Guard looked outside at how high the sun was, "It looks to be about eleven o'clock Mr. Hiccup."

"Okay, I need to get back and have this wrapped with the other presents I plan to give her" Hiccup uttered as he put his tools away and reached into his pocket pulling out ten gold coins which he then handed to the old man. "Thank you for letting me use your workshop and your expertise." He formerly walked out the door with the Guard following close behind.

The old man looked down at the coins and squinted, his eyes widened realizing how much he had been given, " _this will pay for enough material for the next month"_ he thought. He quickly went to the door and shouted "Thank you and come back anytime!"

* * *

The King and Queen were notified that Hiccup was out in the town working on Elsa's gifts, so they were not worried when he showed back up at lunch time covered in sweat and smelled of animal hides. They did tell him though to take bath before doing anything else.

Hiccup managed to get the flowers before going to the bath house all the while avoiding Elsa who was looking for him. While he soaked in the hot water, he had time to think of what to do next. " _Right; after I dry myself and put on fresh clothes I will go to the kitchen and ask the chef_ _to make an assortment of her favorite sweets._ _Then I will take everything and wait for her in the garden, she will surely find me there with Anna's help."_ Hiccup then scrubbed his skin with the bar of soap and rinsed himself with a fresh bucket that was brought in by the bath maid.

He got out and dried himself and put on his fresh tunic; he gave his dirty clothes to the maid and asked if she could wash them for him, she obliged.

Once he had gotten the sweets and had everything ready, he walked outside into the chilly afternoon air. Hiccup took in a deep breath trying to gather all his courage so he could ask Elsa to be his Valentine. The gifts and sweets were laid upon the bench as he waited for Elsa to come. He hard forgone his usual furs in order to look more professional, instead opting for a coat given to him by Elsa's mother as a birthday gift. Now he only need to was wait.

"Mama, do you know where Hiccup is?" Elsa asked her mother who was sitting down behind her husband's desk.

The Queen looked up from the piece of parchment that she had been reading, "I have not seen him all day, but I heard from one of the maids that he was walking toward the gardens." She replied with a small smile, knowing full well what his intentions were.

Elsa moved out of the room in search of Hiccup. As she was walking down one of the hallways that looked out upon the gardens, she caught sight of Hiccup sitting out in the cold as if waiting for someone.

As she pushed open the heavy oak door that led out into the gardens she saw Hiccup stand up and move toward her.

"Happy Valentines' Day Elsa" Hiccup announced as he took Elsa's hand and led her to the bench, sitting her down he handed her the flowers first. He was sweating profusely down his back instead of down his face for which he was thankful for at the moment.

"Thank you Hiccup." Elsa smiled as she saw that the flowers he had given her were the national flowers of her country, the Purple Heather. She looked down to see some sweets to which she took one and ate it, smiling as the still warm chocolate went down her throat and into her empty belly. "What's that?" she asked as she looked at the box wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string.

"It's your Valentine's gift" he answered as he gave her the package gently as if it was made of glass.

She gently untied the string and unwrapped the paper to reveal gloves, not just gloves but high quality leather gloves. " _Does he know my secret?_ " Hiccup gazed upon Elsa's face and was put off by the fact that she was frowning. "Is something wrong?" He asked worried that he upset her.

"Oh, no, they are beautiful. But, why gloves?"

"Well, Anna pointed it out to me that you are wear gloves every day from dawn till dusk from what she could see. And I thought that sooner or later, they will become worn out, so I made you a pair that is strong and durable." Hiccup answered with a blush.

Elsa smiled back at Hiccup, touched that he had taken the time to make such a beautiful gift for her and was concerned for her wellbeing.

She took them out of the box, quickly took off her white gloves and put on the green ones. They went halfway up her forearm and were snug against the skin. She flexed her hands and fingers getting used to the new material. "They are amazing Hiccup, thank you so much." She smiled at him; tears coming to her eyes.

"I used cashmere for the interior and full grain leather to add toughness. The cashmere will wick away moisture from inside the glove so your hands won't get sweaty and will keep your hands warm and dry during the cold winter." Hiccup explained to her, she noticed how passionate he was about the gloves from the way he talked. One day he would become a master crafter, this she knew.

"I can make another pair for the summer if you want?" Hiccup said scooting closer to Elsa.

"That would be nice" she whispered, her face growing hot.

Breathing in and out slowly, he got ready for the big question. "Elsa? Will you be my Valentine?" Hiccup asked as he took her hand in his.

Elsa cast her eyes down at her hands, unsure of what to say. Hiccup gathering courage from God knows where reached up and brushed his hand against a gathering of hair and put it behind her ear. His hand lingered there before he slowly closed the distance between their faces to only a few inches. As her eyes glanced at the ground, Elsa noticed that ice was slowly moving from her feet covering the ground around them. Startled she shot up, knocking Hiccup back against the bench. "I'm sorry, I must go." Elsa said before taking off with the gloves and flowers in hand.

Hiccup could only stare and think that he had caused this. He took a piece of chocolate and ate it, trying to drown his sorrows in now cold chocolate, as if to add insult to injury. As he stood he slipped on the ice falling back first onto the ice covered ground, "Oh come on, why me?"

As he thought more and more about the way Elsa left, one question lingered in his mind " _Where did the ice come from, it wasn't there when I sat down, did it come from Elsa? No way, that's impossible_. _Now the real question remains,_ _am I good enough for Elsa to begin with?"_

* * *

That question lingered in his mind for nearly three weeks; Elsa didn't talk to him after that day, which made Hiccup feel worse and worse with each passing day. Even in class, she didn't look at him let alone talk to him. Now, today was the day that he had to head back to Berk where no one loved or cared about him except for maybe his dad on a good day. He was just sitting on the wharf waiting for Gobber to dock the ship and lower the gangplank so he could go home and try and forget that he ever tried to kiss Elsa. As he was picking up his satchel he heard his name being called in the distance behind him, turning around her saw Elsa running toward him wearing the gloves he had given her.

Upon reaching Hiccup, she walked up to him and held his hand in hers.

"Hiccup, I am sorry about the way I acted on Valentine's Day, but I was never in a situation like that and so I didn't know how to act. I am also sorry for ignoring you for the past three weeks. I was just trying to gather together my feelings about you and I have come to a decision. Hiccup will you be my belated Valentine?" Elsa asked out of breath as she felt heat rise to her cheeks, whether it be from embarrassment, nervousness or lack of air she did not know.

Hiccup returned the blush; he tried to form words for a few seconds before he was finally able to squeak out a "yes" in reply.

Elsa bent down and kissed him on the cheek, letting her lips linger there before slowly pulling back. Hiccup's face was red as a tomato and with courage he didn't know he had stood on his tippy toes and kissed Elsa on her cheek. Now both were red faced, Hiccup gathered her into his arms and didn't let go until he heard Gobber yell for him.

"Till next time, I guess" Hiccup said with a soft smile on his face as he withdrew from the hug and put his satchel around his shoulder. "Yes, till next time Hiccup. Take care and write me if you can." Elsa replied in a happy tone, a tone he had not heard for some time.

"I will definitely write you and tell Anna that I will build a snow man with her on our next meeting, alright?"

"I will pass along the message, goodbye Hiccup."

"Bye, Elsa."

Hiccup walked onto the boat and watched the dock become smaller and smaller till he could no longer see Arendelle.

Elsa had one thought run through her mind as she walked back to her room, " _Yes, I love Hiccup and he is the one I want to marry no matter what_." She had a true smile on her face for the rest of the night, it seemed like for the first time in forever she felt _that_ _way_ about another person other than her sister or her parents; and she didn't mind that at all.


	5. Letters and Gifts

**Author's Notes:** First off Happy Halloween and if you don't celebrate Halloween or are in another country then Happy Saturday. I would like to thank all the people who have favorited and followed my story and to those who have reviewed you have my utmost thanks. A few of you have said that I should not follow the canon since that way is boring and predictable. Well, I am not really following canon, but I kind of am at the same time. My idea is to loosely follow it, I will be using the existing storyline as a safety cord, and when I run out of it which will be around chapter fifteen, I will get to dive head first into the deep end of the pool to which I am excited at. This style works for me, I have pages and pages of notes and ideas that I want to give a try for this story. So please give my story and me your faith and time that you will continue to read it. As always here is a shout out to all those who have written reviews: fanfictionmakermachine, cluelessRJ, Vahn N. Chrome, supersandman86, KtyouVsWriting, ravenx1988, and TheWritingFactory. There will be a post chapter author's note in this chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

 _Chapter 5_

 _Letters and Gifts_

"Hiccup! Hiccup!" He heard his father yell his name as he worked in the forge finishing a sword for an order.

"I'm in here dad!" Hiccup shouted back, alerting his father to his location.

"I needed to tell ye something son." Stoick said in his thick accent, ducking below the archway to get inside the warm forge.

"What is it dad?" Hiccup asked, not taking his eyes off the hot sword as he pounded the dents out of it with his hammer.

Stoick moved into the forge taking a large hammer and inspected it, "You won't be going to see Elsa this year."

"What! But dad it's been the three-year period, I'm supposed to see Elsa in a week, why couldn't you have told me earlier." Hiccup countered exasperated at the thought of not seeing his only friend.

"I'm sorry son, but there have been too many dragon raids and I don't feel safe sending me son and only blacksmith out alone. I have already told Agdar and he understands."

"But, but I want to see Elsa, I miss her so much." Hiccup responded desperately wanting to see Elsa.

"So, then send ye lass a letter." Stoick replied with a grin.

Hiccup blushed at the implementation that she was his partner.

"Dad, she's not my partner."

"True, but she is yer sweetheart. Now finish up with yer orders and meet me in the great hall for supper." Stoick said while dropping the hammer into table causing it to shift slightly which caused his drink to fall into the fire. Hiccup only had a second to retreat from the fire, or else he would have been burned from the steam.

After picking himself up and finishing the sword he had managed to save, he set himself upon writing a letter to Elsa. He would give it to Trader Johann to deliver to her; he was trustworthy most of the time.

Striking a match to light a nearby candle and grabbing his favorite charcoal pencil, he started his letter.

" _Dear Elsa, I am writing you to tell you that sadly I won't be coming this year, something about danger in the seas. Personally, I would swim the Arendellian Sea to reach you, though I would probably drown before I got passed the outer archipelago. Over the past three years I have read every book you have sent me, I like reading about mathematics, science, engineering, economics, and politics. Correction, I love reading about engineering, and I have built some of my own contraptions. Though, most have back fired, failed utterly or caused me to get into trouble because the machine destroyed something in the village_. _Most, if not all my inventions are in the forge, that way I can tinker with them at my leisure_." Hiccup paused thinking for a moment about whether he wanted to tell her about his role in the village.

" _The village loves me dearly and… actually they don't love me, they blame me for everything. I mean look at my name 'Hiccup'; means runt of the litter. I try really hard to fit in with the others, but everything always fails and they hate me even more. The others who I am referring to and don't laugh about their names are Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout and Astrid. The only one who is kind of nice to me is Fishlegs; he is a large guy who loves to read like me. He actually borrowed some of my books, he has a fascination with numbers and doesn't pick on me like the others. As you probably guessed it Ruffnut and Tuffnut are fraternal twins and they tend to pick on me only when I say something they don't understand. Which tends to be all the time since my education is higher than theirs, they like to destroy or damage everything I build_." Hiccup took a breath from writing, flexing his hand and looking at the drawings of his friends. Well, friends were a bit of a stretch, comrades were a better word since they all tried to protect the village the best they could.

" _Snotlout is by far the meanest and he's my cousin. He likes to beat me up, push and trip me and make fun of me at every opportunity. I think it's because I'm next in line to be Chief and he's jealous of that fact; I'm worried he might actually kill me when I try to become Chief. The last person on my comrade list would be Astrid who is the most beautiful girl on the island and every guy tries to get her attention including Snotlout. I don't mostly because she calls me 'useless' whenever I try and do something for her either it be sharpening her axe or inventing a machine to make her day easier. No matter what nothing is ever good enough for her_." Hiccup took another break, thinking about whether or not to attach a drawing of his 'friends' in the letter.

" _In this letter I will attach a drawing of what they look like and you can choose whether or not they look like what their names suggest. I will also send some summer gloves for you since that season is approaching quickly. Well, I guess I should wrap this letter up. I miss you dearly Elsa and hope to see you and spend time with you next year, you truly are the only friend I have in the world. Tell Anna and your parents that I miss them too. You are so lucky to have people who don't fear that you will put them in danger thanks to your hand or something you made with your hands. Please write back to me, some of my letters got destroyed or lost thanks to Snotlout, we also have had a lot of dragon raids destroying our ships and … people. Hope to see you soon._

 _Your Friend, Hiccup_ "

As he finished the drawing he looked out the window and saw that it was really dark, well past supper time. "Oops, I guess I spent a few hours writing the letter and drawing the picture of my friends who hate me." Hiccup thought out loud, if he ran down to the docks he would be able to give it to Trader Johann before he left to go on his next trade. Hiccup wrapped the papers up and put them in a leather tube and secured it with a cork and string. Running by Vikings and farm animals he made it to the docks right as Johann was pulling up his anchor.

"Johann! Can you give this to Princess Elsa of Arendelle" Hiccup shouted to the trader before throwing him the letter.

Johann caught it easily and nodded his head "It would be an honor Mr. Hiccup." He shouted back.

Hiccup watched the ship disappear into the horizon, before he turned back to go to the Great Hall. He hoped there was some chicken left. As he was walking by the forge, he suddenly found himself on the ground and in pain. Hiccup rolled over onto his back and looked up to see Snotlout standing over him. "What do you want Snotlout?"

"Nothing, what did you give to Trader Johann?" He asked with venom in his voice.

"Just a letter" Hiccup replied casually.

"Ooh a letter to whom? Your secret girlfriend, like someone would ever love a loser like you." He replied before kicking Hiccup in the stomach.

"That's none of your business, Snotlout." Hiccup tried saying in a tough voice, but failing miserably.

Snotlout grabbed Hiccup by his tunic and dragged him up so that he could look him in the eye. "What you do is my business if you try to become Chief one day, that honor should have gone to me instead of a useless runt like you." He spat as he punched Hiccup in the stomach and then threw him to the side of the path. "Just stay out of my way and you will fine, if not then you will have more _accidents._ " Snotlout said before walking toward the Great Hall.

As Hiccup looked up at the night sky, his hunger thankfully went away and was replaced by severe pains sadly. He managed to haul himself up and wobble his way to his home, up the steps and collapse into bed.

"Odin, you know I don't ask for a lot so please make this year go by faster. I want to see Elsa before I have an accident that will leave me permanently disabled or worse. Please Odin hear my prayers." Hiccup whispered before succumbing to sleep.

Thankfully the year did go by a little faster, but not fast enough to avoid the dozen or so accidents thanks to Snotlout and the others.

* * *

"Elsa, you have a letter from Hiccup;" the Queen announced at the dinner table and then handed the leather tube to her now fourteen-year-old daughter, time sure did fly for some.

"Thank you Mother. May I be excused?" Elsa asked politely while having a neutral look on her face, she was a full year into her training to become the next Queen.

"Yes, you may." Her mother replied

As Elsa got up from her chair she placed her right foot behind her left heel and then slightly bent her knees performing a small curtsy for the Queen and King.

"Thank you your Majesty. I will be in the courtyard." Elsa said as she was dipping down in the curtsy.

As she turned around and left the dining room, a small smile came to her face as soon as she was alone in the hallway. She held the leather tube to her chest and tried to feel the warmth he must have put in it when he held it last. Elsa pushed the door open to reveal the beautiful courtyard, the flowers were just starting to bloom and a warm breeze flowed passed her face. She really did love spring, easier to melt all the ice she would accidentally create when she had outbursts from excessive feelings. " _Remember conceal, don't feel, don't let it show_ " she remembered her father telling her over and over. The more she stowed away the less likely someone she loved would be hurt. Anna had already had part of her memories wiped away once and she didn't want to have that happen again.

Elsa found the bench Hiccup had asked her to be his Valentine, smiling she sat down and uncorked the tube, pulling out the wrinkled parchment and unfurled it. She started reading the letter " _Dear Elsa, I am writing you to tell you that sadly I won't be coming this year, something about danger in the seas. Personally, I would swim the Norwegian Sea to reach you, though I would probably drown before I got passed the outer archipelago. Over the past three years I have read every book you have sent me, I like reading about math, science … Please write back to me, some of my letters got destroyed or lost thanks to Snotlout, we also have had a lot of dragon raids destroying our ships and … people. Hope to see you soon. Your Friend, Hiccup"_

Elsa put the letter down on her lap and thought for a moment before going back to one section in particular and rereading it. " _Astrid who is the most beautiful girl on the island and every guy tries to get her attention including Snotlout. I don't mostly because she calls me 'useless' whenever I try and do something for her either it be sharpening her axe or inventing a machine to make her day easier. No matter what nothing is ever good enough for her."_ After thinking for a moment she reread the first ten words again " _Astrid who is the most beautiful girl_ _on the island."_

"Hiccup is attracted to this Astrid girl, he called her beautiful. He's never called me beautiful." Elsa said to herself out loud feeling anger flow through her, slowly ice spread out from her feet and a small whirlwind of snow began moving around her. She saw what was happening and immediately chanted her mantra: " _Remember conceal, don't feel, don't let it show_ ". It wasn't working so she thought of Hiccup smiling at her and concentrating on his smile the snow and ice slowly but surely went away.

"Breathe Elsa, breathe, it's alright now, it went away" she said to herself happy she did not lose full control.

"What is this feeling I am having toward this girl, is it jealousy? She has attracted the attention of every boy in the village including my Hiccup. My Hiccup? We haven't even truly kissed let alone courted each other." She thought, but deep down she knew she was jealous that this Astrid girl got to be near Hiccup for thirty-five of thirty-six months in a three-year period, while she only got one month out of those three years.

"Maybe I can ask to see if Hiccup can stay longer or maybe I can go there to Berk." She said to herself hoping that one of them could come true. After returning from the courtyard she asked her parents about the idea of her going to Berk or Hiccup staying longer for educational reasons. The first idea was outwardly rejected because there was danger in the seas and Agdar did not want to lose his daughter to a dragon of all things. The second idea was given some thought, but he would need to ask Stoick about his thoughts on the matter. " _Well at least its progress_ " she thought before going to her room and starting her reply letter.

" _Dear Hiccup, thank you for the letter and I am saddened that you will not be coming this year, but I asked my father if you could stay longer next time to make up for the lost year. Personally I don't think you would drown, you would probably build a ship or a contraption to get you here safely. As for the reading, it's good to hear that you are taking and learning something from all these visits. I personally love reading about fictional stories as well as Economics and Politics. The latter will help me immensely when I become Queen, which hopefully won't be for a long time_."

Elsa leaned back in her chair and looked at the flame that was dancing in the gas lantern; there were talks in the region below them that there was some sort of invention that could provide light without a flame. Now that would be an immense improvement of life for they would not need to use flammable liquid to light the castle. There was also a machine called a 'telegraph' that could send a message vast distances by using an 'electrical current'. That would be interesting for instead of waiting weeks for a letter, they could do it in minutes. She was blessed to live in an ever changing world, too bad Berk was so isolated it would probably be decades before things caught up with them, poor Hiccup.

Looking back down at her letter she continued on. " _I believe you will get better with time when it comes to the inventions and engineering bit, experiment with different ideas and try and try again till you get it right, don't ever give up. I am sad and angry that would life is so hard for you; if I were there I would defend you and show everyone just how useful you really are. All your friends, I mean comrades sound like an interesting bunch to say the least, I would avoid them all except for Fishlegs who you say treats you better than the others. And definitely avoid Snotlout and Astrid, when you see them just go a different way. The drawing you have provided for me is amazing in the fact is so well drawn, you must have a very steady hand_."

Elsa looked at the drawing again and saw that all his 'comrades' were crudely drawn except for Astrid; her portrait was better than the rest. " _He must really like her"_ Elsa thought, narrowing her eyes at this girl and wanting to switch places with her so much.

" _You say that I am lucky to have people that don't fear me, who love me so much and express no disdain toward me. The truth is that some fear me in the regard to that I am royalty and if they do something wrong by me or not doing something right for me would cause them to lose their jobs or worse. My parents and sister love me and I love them and that is the only thing I care about more than you, for now. In time I hope we will become closer in our friendship."_

As Elsa wrote those words, she desperately wanted to put relationship instead of friendship, to have someone like her mother has. Someone to share her secrets with, to understand her and to protect her from not only herself, but others as well.

As she penned the last words of that paragraph, she wished those things would come true and she could finally have someone with her in this lonely castle. She couldn't play with Anna for fear of harming her again and possibly killing her. "I will never put her life in danger again even if I must hurt her by ignoring her." Elsa said to herself as she drew fresh ink from the ink well.

" _I can't wait to see you next year where we will learn so many new languages and advanced studies including mathematics, science and your favorite engineering. Well, I hope this letter finds its way to you safely and that you yourself will be safe till your arrival here. Then we can spend all the time we want together. Yours Truly, Elsa_ "

Elsa hoped she wasn't too forward with that last part as she put the letter in the envelope and sealed it with the official seal of Arendelle. She put Hiccup's full name on the front and the name of the island where he lived, she then pressed it against her chest to get her smell on it. She never thought she would do something so womanly, but she wanted it to be special. Elsa then gave the letter to Gerda who would have it to be sent to Berk. All she could do now was play the waiting game. And in the meantime study to become queen, and hope Hiccup would send another letter, with the same passion she did.

Over the course of the year, nearly half a dozen letters were sent and received; talking about everything from what was going on at home, what happened in the years between visits and what would they do on the next visit. Thankfully for Hiccup the year went by quickly thanks to the letters, but he was still bullied horrendously by Snotlout and a bit by Astrid when he made a mistake in front of her. When that day did come for him to board the ship to Arendelle, he threw his sack and satchel onto the boat and even tried to get the ship ready for sailing, much to the bafflement of the ship's crew and Gobber. They had never seen him so excited or happy for that matter; they thought it was to get away from working at the forge. They were partially right, but in reality it was for one person and her name was Elsa.

* * *

Elsa woke up with a smile, for today was the day Hiccup arrived for his fourth official visit and she felt giddy. Almost. She had learned emotion management techniques on how to control her powers if she became mad, anxious or scared. She also learned how to show no emotion to others including Anna if she had found her in one of the hallways or rooms. Now she would have to use those same techniques around Hiccup since she didn't know how her powers would react around him. Sure her powers didn't react when they exchanged kisses, but that was on the cheek. What if they kissed on the lips, a small blush came to Elsa's cheeks when she thought of that happening.

But still, she was getting ahead of herself, what if Hiccup didn't like- like her, what if he just wanted to be friends? A small frown erased her smile as she thought of this, just because she wanted more, didn't mean he wanted more. There was still that Astrid girl she had to contend and compete with, even though apparently she expressed none of the feelings she had toward Hiccup. Plus, it only takes one day or moment to change everything between two people, one day they could dislike each other and the next they could like one another. As she thought more and more, she heard a faint ship horn in the distance. Elsa walked to the window and cracked it open to see a Viking ship on the horizon.

Smiling she changed into her regular outfit: a purple skirt, magenta sweater with a light blue blouse and green walking slippers. She washed her face in the water basin and while looking in the mirror she noticed some freckles had appeared on her cheeks. Elsa put her short hair into her customary Calais braided crown twist bun, which was slowly becoming larger as her hair grew. After making sure she looked presentable she went through the castle avoiding the areas Anna usually played; Elsa finally arrived in the Greeting Room, a room built to greet foreign dignitaries or royalty. It was furnished with the finest couches, chairs, and tables, Arendelle style artwork and antiques from vast corners of the known world. Elsa sat down on one of the couches and waited, she did not want to go outside the castle walls in fear that she would lose control of her powers somehow.

As the clock ticked away she found herself growing more anxious by the minute, finally the door connecting to the outer hallway opened to reveal a fourteen-year-old Hiccup. He was wearing a long light green sleeve shirt, darkish green colored pants and a dark brown fur vest that matched with his boots. His face shown that he was in the period of growing, his nose had gotten a little bigger and his cheeks were covered in freckles. Even his eyes brows were fuller and so was his smile, but wait a moment what happened to his eye?

"Hiccup, it's been too long." Elsa stated as she got up and walked around the furniture to Hiccup who had put down his sack and also started walking towards her. The two met in the middle between the door and the middle of the room, Hiccups face was pointed at the floor and refused to look up at her, and instead he just threw his arms around her torso and drew her to him in a loving hug between friends.

"I missed you so much Elsa" He stated back as he put his face against her shoulder, he was still shorter than her by a good three inches.

Elsa was taken aback by the hug and wrapped her arms around him in response, "I have missed you too Hiccup."

" _He must have been having a rough time back at Berk if he is this affected, Astrid and Snotlout must be really torturing him_." Elsa thought, as she slowly rubbed her hand against his back in a soothing motion.

Hiccup gave out a little chuckle, which startled Elsa out of her thoughts

"What is so funny Hiccup?"

"You are so tall; will you ever stop growing? I feel like a midget standing next to you." Hiccup replied pulling out of the hug and giving a small smile to her.

Elsa blushed a little at the thought of towering over Hiccup "Well, girls usually grow first then boys hit their growth spurt later on. You will be taller than me in a few years, then it will be me who is the midget."

"That is true; I just hope I will be just a little taller than you, that way it will be easier to dance with you at balls if we ever go to one." He replied with a smile as he moved over to sit on the edge of the couch arm.

"Hiccup, I hope I am not being too forward, but what happened to your eye?" Elsa said as she brushed some of his bangs away to reveal an ugly black eye.

"Oh, this? I fell on the ship during some rough waves. Nothing to give a fuss over." Hiccup replied quickly, then his nose twitched. Elsa could see it was an obvious lie.

"…" Elsa cast her eyes down and began rubbing her left arm with her right hand, a nervous habit, "Would you like some lunch?"

"That sounds great. I made gifts for everyone, including your parents. I hope to give it to them after I put my stuff away. Would that be acceptable?" Hiccup asked politely, as he reached down and swung his sack over his shoulder and stood up.

Elsa looked at the young man and liked the fact that he was becoming a chivalrous gentleman instead of somebody like that Snotlout boy.

"That would be acceptable, Hiccup. I will meet you in the dining room and I will get everything prepared." Elsa said a smile coming to her face as she turned away and walked toward her parents chamber.

* * *

About half an hour later, Hiccup had changed into a fresh tunic and pants, making sure he looked presentable to the King and Queen for lunch. Closing the door behind him he carried a large satchel with him that contained the gifts he made specifically for each person of the royal family. After a ten-minute walk past empty rooms and hallways, he made it to the dining room where he heard some small talk. Knocking first he waited till he was given permission to enter, as he entered he saw the long oak table that glistened in the sunlight with the King seated at the end with his wife sitting next to him and both Elsa and Anna sitting across from each other, now that was rare. He saw a table setting prepared for him seated right next to Elsa. He made his way over and seated himself dropping the satchel carefully on the floor. Hiccup looked back up and smiled at everyone.

"Thank you your majesty for letting me return to Arendelle for another visit to continue my studies among other things." Hiccup said to the King in his most thankful voice, bowing his head slightly.

"You are most welcome Mr. Hiccup, I must say when you are here, my daughters are at their happiest especially Elsa." The King replied with a smile, as he eyed his eldest daughter.

Elsa was able to keep her face stoic, but was unable to prevent the blush that came to her cheeks. She brought her hand up to her mouth to cough, as she tried to hide the color on her face.

"Oh, alright." Hiccup responded hesitantly, unable to knowingly respond to that kind of statement .

"Are you hungry Mr. Hiccup? The royal cooks have prepared a mini feast in honor of your arrival." The King said while putting a napkin across his lap, everyone did the same.

"Oh yes, I am quite famished. Eating nothing but chicken and drinking mead on a ship for a week will make you want to eat something else as soon as you can." He replied to the question, then took a sip of water out of the gold laced goblet.

"Mead? Your father lets you drink alcohol at such a young age?" The King asked with a mild shock look etched on his face.

"Oh yes, I have been drinking mead for over five years now. Mead and water are really the only two things we Vikings drink. Well maybe besides Yak milk really." Hiccup stated in a matter of fact voice.

Elsa had a surprised look on her face; her head tilted to the left a little and her eyes widened. She herself had only tried wine once or twice and had gotten tipsy off one glass. "How much can you drink before you get inebriated Hiccup?" She asked looking at him, her goblet hovering near her lips.

Hiccup stroked his chin and thought for a moment before replying, "I think about five glasses will get me tipsy and eight glasses will get me inebriated. My father can drink at least a barrel before he gets drunk. We have a high tolerance for alcohol, that way we can drink before a battle and feel no pain in case we get injured."

The entire royal family look at the young man with disbelief, shocked that he had been drinking for years and could drink so much without passing out.

"Actually I brought some if you want to try it." Hiccup said enthusiastically reaching into his satchel that he placed on the floor and pulling out a large drum of mead that he then placed on the seat beside him. The drum was about thirty centimeters high and fifteen centimeters in diameter, it could probably old about four liters.

"Umm, I don't know if the childr…" Agdar started before he was interrupted by Anna "Ooh, can I try some, please dad. I have always wanted to try a taste of alcohol." Anna asked with urgent fervor.

Idun who had remained quiet spoke up "come now dear, let the children taste a little, we are celebrating Hiccup's arrival after all." She said with a small smile, as she nodded toward the young Viking.

"Well alright, everyone pass Hiccup your goblets." He sighed defeated, out voted my his own family.

Everyone passed their goblets to Hiccup as he uncorked the drum and let the mead flow equally into each of the goblets. After receiving back their goblets, they were about to taste before Hiccup stopped them.

"Now, before you drink I must tell you to that this is sweet style mead, made out of honey mostly. It is also one of our most tame for alcohol consistency; it won't knock you out on your first gulp." He stated in a warning kind of tone.

The family eyed the liquid warily before taking a taste of the mead. Hiccup just eyed them before a round of coughs erupted from the family; the King put a fist up to his mouth while the women covered theirs with their napkins. "Wow that is some strong stuff", the King replied after a moment of trying to catch his breath. "Really? I think it's tame by our standards; well it is your first time drinking this kind of stuff." Hiccup said while taking a large swig of his glass.

"Elsa, what do you think?" Hiccup asked his friend.

Elsa took another swig and only coughed a little this time. Hiccup naturally started to pat her on the back to help her out. This only made her blush more from the lack of air coming to her lungs.

"It's very good; I can really taste the honey and other spices." She said with a small smile, the smile went away as soon as Hiccup took his hand off of her back.

There was a knock on the door, and then the chefs and servants came in with the generous food offerings. A warm smile came to Hiccup's face from all the choices.

An hour later heavy amounts of laughter could be heard coming out of the room, the first time in a long time it seemed that the castle felt this warm.

"And so there I was, flying through the air and where did I land? Not in a grassy knoll, but a chicken pen, I came out of the pen covered from head to toe in feathers and smelling of chicken droppings." Hiccup said then laughed, "I smelled like a chicken for a week."

The entire room erupted in laughter again, that mead had helped to loosen everyone up.

The King and Queen were having trouble catching their breaths while Anna was laughing hysterically and Elsa was giving a good laugh, but felt bad at Hiccup's luck of having to try out his own catapult.

After the laughter died down, Hiccup made an announcement. "Time for the gifts, I made something for each of you when I had the time in the forge. Please note that I am still learning, so it may not be the best it can be." Hiccup cautioned as he reached down to pull the satchel onto his lap.

"Gifts? Hiccup you didn't need to. We…" Elsa started before her sister interrupted her "Elsa, don't talk him out of giving us free gifts, I would really like a gift since my birthday is so far away." Anna replied with a giddy voice, really wanting to know what she had gotten.

"Well, since you really want to know, I will start with you." Hiccup said as he reached into his satchel and pulled out a folded light green and brown dress. It had a brown bodice with a connecting light green skirt that went down to the ankles. In the center it had a flowers design and the sleeves went down to the wrists. "You know how to sew Hiccup?" Anna asked in amazement looking the dress over.

"Yes, it's kind of a requirement for leather craft, Elsa knows this. This brings me to Elsa's gift." Hiccup announced in a prompt voice as if he was showing off goods to sell at a market.

He pulled out a pair of light green gloves and handed them to Elsa. She smiled while accepting them, unnoticed was the two pairs of eyes watching them closely. Agdar and Idun watched intently wondering if Elsa had told Hiccup about her powers.

"They are beautiful Hiccup what did you make them with?" Elsa asked while looking them over, trying to feel the materials, through her winter gloves.

"Well, these are made for the summer in that they are made out of velvet, lined with silk which is cool in the summer and the ends have some full grain leather to add durability when putting them on." Hiccup said while pointing to each area of the glove, they even had some dark green royal looking markings on them.

She grasped the gloves in her hands and laid them on her lap. "Thank you so much Hiccup, I will wear them extensively in the coming months." She said then gave him a warm smile to which he looked away and blushed.

"Now moving on to your gift your majesties." Hiccup said while pulling out a pair of black loafers and handed them to Elsa to give to the King.

"The leather is made from red deer; the wood is durable and the inside is double soled for the ability to walk around longer in them without having your feet ache. I made sure that if one of the stitches comes undone they all won't come undone." Hiccup stated while the King inspected the well-crafted shoe.

"Amazing work Mr. Hiccup, this must have taken you weeks to do." The King said in astonishment, amazed at the level of commitment they must have demanded from the young man.

Hiccup shook his head. "No. Not really, just a few days, there isn't must to do on an island other than work and learn." Hiccup admitted with a scratch to the back of his head. Pulling out one last gift which turned out to be another pair of leather shoes this time for the queen.

"My Queen, a pair of leather skimmers for you, used of the same material as your husbands but the bottom is reinforced with more leather for the arch."

"Thank you, Mr. Hiccup they are a thoughtful gift." I dun replied as he felt the material in her hands then put the skimmers on the table in front of her.

Hiccup smiled at being thanked, "I hope they fit, I had to guess the sizes of your feet. If they don't fit tell me and I will try again" Hiccup added as a reminder.

Agdar raised his goblet in a toast, soon everyone raised their glasses in acknowledgement. "To Hiccup. May he always be a kind, caring and wonderful man."

"Hear, hear." They all replied and nodded their heads toward Hiccup, who looked as if he was about to tear up at the amount of kindness he was receiving.

Hiccup raised his goblet and said thank you to everyone for the warm welcome.

They all nodded then Agdar and Idun rose, and then slowly everyone else got up. "I and the Queen will be in our chambers reviewing plans for an addition to the harbor. Thank you for the gifts again, Mr. Hiccup. My Lady?" He asked while offering his arm, she took ahold of it with her arm and the pair exited the room.

Hiccup smiled at being so warmly welcomed and thanked so much, " _I wish I could live here year round. If I did any stuff for my dad, he would barely let out a thank you_." Hiccup thought grimly

"Well, I'm going to try on my new dress" Anna proclaimed to the two remaining occupants before marching over to Hiccup and looking up at him and made a gesture as if asking him to bend down. As soon as he bent down, Anna pressed her lips to his cheek for a whole two seconds. This not only surprised Hiccup but Elsa as well, who could only look on with a shocked face as her sister kissed the boy she liked right in front of her. Elsa knew Anna didn't have feelings for him but was probably expressing how she felt about the gift in that she loved it.

" _How dare she kiss him before and right in front of me, he is mine. Whoa, wait a minute he isn't mine. Calm down Elsa. Remember conceal, don't feel, don't let it show_ " Elsa thought as the ice that had extended from her shoes slowly rescinded. Hiccup was too consumed by the kiss from Anna to notice the slightest change in the temperature of the room.

As Anna pulled back from the kiss she smiled and skipped off to her room to try the dress on. Hiccup bent back up and turned around with a blush coming to his face, "Hmm, I did not expect that" he said to Elsa before he realized she was frowning at him. "What's wrong, Elsa?"

She said nothing for a moment before grabbing his tunic and pulling him to her and kissing him on the cheek that had been left untouched. For nearly three seconds Hiccup forgot how to breathe and his mind was a total blank slate. After the third second Elsa pulled back and released Hiccup before giving him a kind smile, "thank you for the gloves Hiccup, I will now retire to my room for the rest of the evening. Remember we start our tutoring session at eight o'clock in the morning so get some sleep." Elsa said before grasping the gloves and then making her exit out of the dining chamber.

Hiccup dropped back down into his seat and slowly brought his hands up to his cheeks and touched them both, " _mercy, I should make Elsa gifts more often. Does she like me or something? She frowns when Anna is affectionate to me and usually does something to show that she is present."_ Hiccup thought for a moment before putting his hands down and getting up from his chair and making his way over to the door. As he opened the door, he stopped and looked back thinking of all the recent laughter and affection. He grew envious of both Elsa and Anna for being able to live in such a beautiful and happy dwelling. " _I wish I could stay here forever"_ Hiccup said to himself before walking to his bedroom and going to bed early, sleepy from all that had happened in one beautiful day.

* * *

 **Post chapter Author's Notes** : Now you must be wondering or are confused at that I had Anna and Elsa in the same room together. I am trying to be as realistic as possible in this fictional story; interesting I know. Now I believe there is no way, that two people who live together in the same building could not see each other for thirteen years, whether it be a meet up in the hallway or a room. Elsa has to come out of her room, she would go mad if she stayed in one room for that long. She needs to go into the courtyard or the library. At this point in time, Elsa is fifteen and Hiccup is fourteen, he has not been informed of the contract or Elsa's powers, he does not know why the two sisters have split up. He respects their privacy too much, bless his heart. Until Elsa tells Hiccup about her powers, she tries to make it seem like her family is happy, thus the dining room scene. I also believe if Anna was told by her parents to behave and not to say anything, she would listen. Back in the 1830's, royal children were very disciplined and knew to follow their parents wishes to the letter. Believe what you want, but it only gets better from here. Thank you for your time, leave a review if you can and have a nice day.


	6. Blindness and New Things Learned

_**Authors notes** : _As of late I feel I have come under pressure to change my story. I can take the criticism; it comes with the territory. But here is the simple truth, I am not a professional writer, I never claimed to be. I do not have a degree in English or Writing for that matter. I do have a degree in Political Science though, but that does not mean I know everything. I am pretty sure none of the writers here are professional. I don't get any money out of this, there is none to be had. I don't do this to for the fame since we all have pen names or aliases. Our work will disappear with the sands of time and no one will care. So why do we write? I write because it makes me happy. This story as it is, makes me happy.

If you are the kind of person that needs all the holes filled in, all the explanations basically handed to you then you are not going to like this story; I'm sorry. If there is a plot hole, it is not because I am lazy and did not care that it was there, it is because I plan on filling it in later. I am trying to create suspense or mystery surrounding a certain point.

I added on a new scene after discovering the chapter was only 3,000 words long, and I added a new character/theme that will play a small but important role in the future.

Also I would like to thank: Patty 4577, ravenx1988, cluelessRJ, Yumikana, digimak2, the-unknown-guardian, RandomReader7, Cloud4012, KtyouVsWriting, itslimx, fantasylover4evr and of course Noctus Fury who should really get a account so I can actually answer his/her questions.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_** **or DreamWorks:** ** _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

Chapter 6

 _Blindness and New Things Learned_

After getting up and heading to the library to continue his studies into now advanced matters of math and science, he was learning a lot in the first few hours. He started to learn elementary algebra, which helped him understand arithmetic's and algebraic equations. Now, most of his fellow Vikings would never use such knowledge, but since he loved engineering and building things, he believed he would use this stuff extensively. After taking a break for lunch he was launched into mechanical engineering which would help him understand how to construct engines such as the catapult he was thinking of building to shoot down dragons. At around three in the afternoon, he was able to pick which foreign language he wanted to learn. He selected the same one as Elsa, Deutsch; their neighbors to the South.

While Hiccup was learning about math and science, Elsa was learning mass quantities of politics and religion. These were things she had to know in order to appease her people when she assumed the throne, lest she wanted to step on the ideals and beliefs of the commoners, she best learn how to govern with kindness and understanding.

Finally, after nearly ten hours of continuous learning and taking in of new means, dinner was announced and they were dismissed for the day. As the teachers left the room, Elsa looked over at Hiccup who had brought a hand up to massage his forehead. "Hiccup, are you alright?" Elsa questioned her friend.

"Hmm? Oh, yes I am fine. This is the first time I have learned anything for ten hours straight, a little bit overwhelming." Hiccup said while running his hand back and forth slowly on his head, trying to get rid of the minor headache.

Elsa tried to think of something to make Hiccup feel better, but failed. "Sind Sie bereit für das Abendessen, Mr. Hiccup?" (Are you ready for dinner, Mr. Hiccup?) Elsa asked in Deutsch.

Hiccup rolled his head over to the left to see Elsa smiling at him, as he stitched the words together he responded back with "Ja, lasst uns essen Sie Frau Elsa." (Yes, let us eat Ms. Elsa.)

Elsa looked at him for a moment thinking he wanted to eat her, but realized his mix up of a few key words. She stood and stuck out her hand for him to grab, he took it gratefully and hoisted himself up with her aid. She held on to his hand for a few seconds before he pulled out of it to grab his books and writing materials.

"I will meet you at the dining room, Hiccup." Elsa said as she left for dinner.

"Okay, let me just put my stuff away and I will see you there" Hiccup replied then gave her a lazy smile.

Elsa turned her head away to blush and started on her trek to supper.

Hiccup gathered his things and walked to his room, organizing it to make sure he could find his notes right away if need be. He then walked to the dining chambers and sat down just in time to see the chef bring out a roasted chicken, a recent memory of flying into a chicken coop passed through his head. He decided to have some salad and vegetables instead. After dinner and some laughter, he found himself in front of Elsa's door. Knocking three times he heard a faint question "Who is it?"

"It is Hiccup, Elsa" he replied through the door.

"Oh, come in Hiccup." He heard her say, then he let himself into the room, after he closed the door he noticed Elsa had changed into her sleeping attire which consisted of a long sleeved white gown from neck to ankle and covered everything but the face, neck, hands and feet, leaving nothing to be desired except for the face of course. He looked down for a second at his own clothing and believed he was overdressed; he had taken off his fur vest and boots, just leaving him in his green tunic, pants and a pair of loafers he had made.

Elsa patted the spot next to her on the bed, and Hiccup cautiously took the invitation. As he took the spot next to her, they just looked at each other and blushed, not being able to think of anything to say. After nearly three minutes of awkwardness Elsa finally spoke up "Hiccup, do you mind telling me about yourself." She asked.

Hiccup just stared at her for a second "what do you mean? We have known each other for over a decade, we basically known everything about one another."

"What, no we don't. If we want this friendship to continue well into the future, we must learn everything we can: weaknesses, strengths, likes, dislikes, fears, and dreams." Elsa countered with a neutral look.

Hiccup stared back at her for a moment before realizing that she was right, they had conversations with each other about studies, but hardly any talks about just them and what they had to deal with by themselves.

"Hmm, okay. My biggest fear is being called useless or not being able to prove myself to my father or tribe." Hiccup started leaning back against the headboard. Elsa leaned back too, a smile coming to her face at learning something new about her companion. Hiccup looked at her expectantly having confessed one of his fears, waiting on Elsa to confess one of hers. Elsa's eyes widened upon realization that she had to share something, quickly pushing the truth about her powers to the back of her mind, she came up with something else.

"I am afraid of not being the queen everyone expects me to be, that is why I must learn everything I can, while I can." Elsa said with conviction.

"My strengths are math, science, inventing, building and being myself. I also like being your friend." Hiccup said while smiling at her then continued on "I like making people happy, I like making things for people, such as those gloves for you knowing you will actually use them instead of something for my father who will use it once and then never again. And my dreams are to… actually I don't know have any dreams right now, but to exist and not be a bother to anyone." Hiccup said solemnly while looking down at his hands that were resting on his lap, flexing them to make sure he actually existed.

Elsa looked at her friend, he looked like he wanted to cry, and his attitude had changed so much in the few minutes between questions. Elsa wondered if it hurt him to think of all the negative things that happened on Berk every time he would walk outside to go to the forge, knowing he didn't have many friends. She didn't have many friends either, but that was because she was doing it out of their safety, one slip of her powers could possibly kill someone. She already had Anna's memory partially wiped away once, because her powers got out of hand. She would never let that happen again if she could help it, even if she had to never play with her sister again, she was doing it out of love, not fear.

Elsa wanting to bring back the happiness told Hiccup her strengths, likes and dreams. "Well, my strengths are English, Foreign Languages, Politics, and Religion. I also like making people happy by doing what they want, but most of all I like being your friend, Hiccup, because it shows that you are not alone in this world." She replied then took his hand in hers; Hiccup looked at their hands and turned his head away to blush.

"What… what are your weaknesses and what do you not like Elsa?" Hiccup asked as his voice pitching at the end.

She shifted her body toward him to close the distance between them to show that she cared about him, then bringing their hands onto her lap.

"Well, my main weakness is being afraid of what others think of me and I dislike feeling powerless in controlling my body." She said, but in truth she wanted to say ' _powerless in controlling my powers_.'

"That makes sense I think. My weakness is my body, in that it can't handle what is required of me to do every day, such as working in the forge and not being able to pick up heavy things. I dislike having to do everything by myself, because no one wants to help me. They only care about themselves or they want to make me feel bad and they take their anger out on me." Hiccup said in a rush as if he was getting everything off his chest.

Elsa smiled at Hiccup as he told her things he probably never told anyone about, she felt rewarded for being trusted with this information and she wanted to reward Hiccup for sharing.

"And what are your dreams Elsa" Hiccup asked with a whisper.

"My dream is to become queen, bring peace and happiness to Arendelle and most of all have a king who is strong, confident in himself, wants the same for his people and be by _my_ _side_ forever." Elsa said while giving his hand a squeeze when she said the words 'my side.'

Hiccup looked into Elsa's eyes knowing she meant him by her side; his entire face went red when he realized she was leaning in to kiss him. In his head several conversations were taking place in those few short seconds before their lips would make contact.

" _You don't deserve her, she is a princess and you are but a hiccup, she deserves a real man, one who can be everything she wants him to be. Do you really see yourself being strong, confident and a King? You can barely make a sword without error, you're weak, useless. If you went away into the forest and never came back, would anyone miss you? Your father, your so called friends, Astrid, Gobber? Do you really think they would search for you or would they celebrate knowing Hiccup the Useless is gone? Elsa deserves a man, not a child who can't even pick up a sword to defend her."_ Part of himself thought.

Hiccup saw their lips were about to touch, but was able to wretch his hand out of hers and move off the bed before she could kiss him.

"Hiccup, what, why?" she asked confused and alarmed at his sudden movement.

"I'm sorry Elsa, I can't, and I won't let you make that mistake." Hiccup replied before opening the door and walking out toward his room, leaving a saddened Elsa in his wake.

"I have done it again; I have hurt someone I care about." Elsa whispered before tearing up and turning her bed sheets to frost.

* * *

As Hiccup walked down the hallway, tears were flowing down his face, he moved his arm to wipe away the tears. He tried to take deep breaths but his lungs felt restricted. He needed some fresh air. He decided to go out into the courtyard for a walk. Pushing the door open, he walked past several Royal Guardsmen and servants, who bowed as he passed by. Looking to his right, he saw a small building he had never really noticed before. It was a twentieth the volume of the main castle.

The main doors were within an archway, and above that were more arches and slanted roofs, the main building must have been at least thirteen meters high and twenty-five meters long. There was even a tall steeple on top of the building, which was topped off with a golden cross. Deciding to investigate the strange building, he moved to open the doors, they slowly opened with a small hiss. Rust had accumulated on the hinges from lack of upkeep, the floors underneath his feet creaked with age. As he moved into the hall, there were lit candles on metal handles that stuck out from the wooden posts that went down the interior of the hall. An aged red rug ran down the center of the aisle with pews on either side of it, Hiccup counted fourteen posts with eleven pews on each side. On the sides of the walls were three tall yet thin stained glass windows between each of the posts.

"This place is amazing and beautiful, all at the same time." Hiccup remarked in a whispered voice. His eyes widened and he licked his lips at all the new found treasures of history.

Moving farther into the building, he stopped and looked around at the architecture. In the back was a small platform with an alter and a high wooden chair, possibly for a king or high ranking member of the council personally he did not know which. Above the chair he saw an aisle that lined the wall of what could be a second floor. "But why would people need to be up there?" He asked out loud this time.

"To sing." A voice called out.

Hiccup immediately spun around to see who was with him. He relaxed a little when he saw it was the King. "Your majesty, I apologize for not asking to visit this building, I will go if you want m..." Hiccup started before Adgar held up his hand to stop.

"It is perfectly alright to explore Mr. Hiccup, as long as it is within the castle's walls. We don't want a repeat of the frozen forest, do we? He asked with a small grin.

"Of course not sir." A small embarrassed smile coming to his face.

Agdar moved further into the building, touching the top of each of the pews before settling down on to one of them and sliding down till he was in the center of it. He beckoned Hiccup over with a wave. Hiccup moved and slid down the same pew till he was a mere few hands away.

"Now, as I was saying before. The choir climbs a removable ladder and sings on that second floor in full view of the entire audience. They can sing some beautiful melodies when it comes time to. I can still remember when I walked down this very aisle to become king, my father and mother were there. I had yet to marry Idun, but she was seated just a few rows ahead of us." Agdar said as he pointed to the furthermost pew. He relaxed as his back touched the front of the pew, this place always made him happy, reminding him of when he was crowned and when he married Idun. " _Those were some of my happiest moments_." He thought looking up at the ceiling.

Hiccup awkwardly relaxed into the pew as he took in all the architecture.

"This is a place of worship?" He asked as he looked at the altar.

"Yes it is, we go here to pray to our God and converse with each other about the teachings of God. Now I don't want to tell you everything about our religion, since you believe in many Gods and you might feel obligated to question another's religions practices."

"No. Please give me a small understanding of what Arendelle and your family believes in. I want to know more about this building's architecture and your beliefs. If you don't mind of course." Hiccup asked gently.

Agdar shook his head from side to side, "Of course I don't mind. Now, where to begin? Well the architecture of this building comes from dragestil, which roughly translates to dragon style."

"Dragon style? I thought Arendelle didn't have dragons?" Hiccup asked confused at the thought of Arendelle having dragons.

"We did, many generations ago. Now it seems the Viking archipelago has all the dragons. Something happened a few centuries ago, that caused all the dragon to migrate to the islands further north. Actually all this land was once owned by the Vikings, in essence we are all Vikings. A few centuries ago, there was a massive plague that consumed the whole province. Famine and death were rampant, a few hundred Vikings decided to leave and start a new life on the Northern Isles. The rest stayed and formed a new kingdom, which is now Arendelle." He spoke then took a small breather.

"Does that mean we are related?" Hiccup asked at the thought of being related to Elsa.

"No. I looked back as far as the family books allowed. Your family name was created on Berk as far as I can tell. As for my family name, it was created far before the plague. So no family relation exists between us." He nodded toward the young Viking. " _Which is good for us since that would be awkward to find out that Hiccup and Elsa are long distant cousins or something."_

Agdar thought silently.

"Now, getting back to the architecture. Most of the castle's buildings have steep roofs, large eaves which is meant to keep rain water off the walls and the top of the roofs have decorations in the form of dragon heads or serpents to ward off evil spirits. Any questions?"

Hiccup thought for a moment, trying to see if he did have any question. One came up, but wondered if he would be too forward for asking such a question.

"King Adgar, what are your beliefs concerning God?"

Now, Agdar had some knowledge that Hiccup would ask such a question, he was an adventurous young man after all. "Most of Arendelle believes in God through Lutheranism. Under our constitution, I must be a Lutheran as does any future king or queen. In essence, we advocate a doctrine of justification, by grace alone through faith alone on the basis of scripture alone; the belief that scripture is the final authority on all matters of faith. Now we hold the Bible to be that scripture for it alone has inspiration, clarity, authority, virtue, and sufficiency." He paused then looked up at the cross that was on the alter before he continued.

"We come here to pay homage to God and his son Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Savior, by way of preaching his teachings and being at peace with one another. We practice two sacraments which are Baptism and Holy Communion. And the only way to make it to Heaven is by God's grace, no amount of good deeds will matter." Agdar finished as he leaned forward to take a Bible off an inner shelf of the pew, then dusted it off. He hoped Hiccup would not want an in-depth conversation otherwise they would be here all night.

"This is our scripture, we read it to better understand ourselves and one another in hope of being better in our lives. Now you probably have a place of worship back home where you make sacrifices to your Gods: Odin, Thor, so on and so forth. From what I have heard from Elsa, you make several trips there to pray. Tell me Hiccup, why do you pray so much?" Agdar asked kindly, hoping to help the young Viking.

Hiccup was taken aback by the question, he did pray a lot whether it be in his room, the forge or the cave where they had their alter to the Gods. For all his praying, he did not see any results.

"I believe I was a mistake, that my father and village does not love me and that the world would be better off without me. My father and I are different in so many ways and he seems disappointed at me all the time. I have no place on Berk and I feel that I will never be a true Viking." He replied trembling before continuing on.

"That…that is why when Elsa asked me to be in a relationship with her I turned her down, since I am not worthy enough for her. I have nothing to offer her, I am just Hiccup the Useless." Hiccup said solemnly as tears fell down his face, he placed his head in his hands and cried silently. He felt awful crying like a little child in front of a king, but at that moment he did not care. He just wanted to wither away till nothing was left.

Agdar looked at Hiccup who was silently crying beside him, he was amazed at how well he had hidden his inner feelings from everyone for so long. Surely Stoick had noticed his own child's plight, but perhaps he really was too busy with the village. At that moment he was infuriated with Stoick and wanted nothing else than too slap the man across his face for ignoring his own child. But since he couldn't and wouldn't do that, he instead decided on consoling and rebuilding Hiccup into the man he needed to be.

Slowly he outstretched his left arm and flexed his hand, cautiously putting it on Hiccup's left shoulder. When Hiccups head drew up and looked up at him, he drew the young man into his arms. He allowed him to cry onto his shoulder, Hiccups arms stretched out and encircled him. This was possibly the first real hug from a father figure Hiccup had in a while. Sure, he wasn't Hiccups real father, but Stoick hadn't given much fatherly love as far as he could see.

"Hiccup, I am proud of you and all you have done in your life. Whether it be making my family and I those slippers, gloves, dresses and so on and so forth. You may not think you have done much, but you would be wrong. You have done so much to make my daughters happy and I thank you for that." Agdar said pulling out of the hug and looking down at the young man, cheeks still glinting with tears.

Agdar put on a reassuring smile. "I can't give you the strength or the courage you seek, only you can give yourself that. And only you control your destiny, do not let anyone change it or steer you down a different path. Hiccup, you must be strong, life will not get easier, and someday you will be Chief of Berk. Your people will need a strong, gentle and smart leader to guide them through all of life's struggle and hardship. One day, your father will be gone and you must be ready to assume the mantle of responsibility. In regards to Elsa…" He stopped and let out a small breath before continuing on.

"In regards to Elsa, take as much time as you need till you believe you are ready for that next step in your relationship with her. If I know my daughter, she would be willing to wait till rapture for you. You are a kind young man and are more than worthy enough for her heart."

Hiccup looked up at Agdar and nodded his head in acknowledgement of the kind words, "thank you so much for allowing me to stay in your home and spend time with you and your family, apparently you care more about me than my own father." He replied with a sniffle.

Agdar leaned down and kissed Hiccups head, before reeling back "if it's any consultation, I would have been honored to have you as a son in another life. And remember, he may not say or show it, but Stoick does love you. You must believe that to be true and if you need any guidance, you can write me personally if you feel inclined to." Agdar said as he put his hand on Hiccups shoulder and shook him a little to make sure he was still listening.

Hiccup looked up at Agdar and smiled, "I… thank you so much for everything, how can I ever repay you?"

"Just take care of my daughters, that is all. Now it is getting late, I think we deserve to go to bed, it has been a long tiring day. Don't you think Hiccup?" He replied standing up, and extending a hand out to the young Viking.

Hiccup grasped the offered hand and was hoisted up my Agdar. He nodded his head in thanks and slowly walked out of the pew, down the aisle and out of the chapel. A few minutes later, he was in bed, dreaming of a world where he was loved by all.

Agdar hung back and slowly walked over to the alter where he lit a candle, "God, please watch over Hiccup. He needs strength and guidance; and I can't give it all to him. If you can't do that, then at least protect him from harm. This is what I ask of you." He crossed himself, and left the church. A hopeful, yet serious look on his face.

* * *

For several weeks he and Elsa hardly spoke to one another other than an awkward hello, goodbye, or the conversations they had to have in the different languages they were learning. But none were spoken with enjoyment or happiness that they once held. Elsa tried to apologize about forcing herself on him and trying to kiss him, but each time he either ignored her or locked himself away in his room. Now this time it was her receiving the door to the face and she felt incredibly ashamed.

He wanted to forget about that moment, he just wanted to concentrate on his work and try and make himself something other than useless to his people. He only talked to two people, one of whom was Anna much to her happiness and Elsa's dismay. The other was Agdar, they met in the chapel after supper every Sunday, where they discussed what made a good leader, how to treat people correctly and most importantly how to communicate sternly yet respectfully.

Three weeks after the bedroom incident when he was outside leaning against on old oak tree that provided much of the shade in the courtyard, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Anna smiling down at him and motioned for her to sit. Sitting down next to Hiccup nothing was said for several minutes until Anna finally broke the tension.

"Hiccup, what happened between you and Elsa? She has not come out of her room in weeks; all she does is go to the library to study and right back to her room to sleep. She eats all her meals in her room, at least when you are here she comes out to eat with the family, now though she hardly leaves that room." Anna asked in a low voice while looking at the fountain.

"I don't want to talk about it." Hiccup responded looking away.

Anna sighed and leaned forward, "Hiccup, please, I have already lost my friendship with my sister. Don't let me lose yours too."

Letting out a sigh, he gave in to Anna's pleadings.

"Fine. I think your sister loves me. She tried to kiss me a few weeks ago, when she said that she wants me to be her King when she becomes Queen." Hiccup said in one massive breath

"That's, it? What are you afraid of?"

Hiccup gave Anna a stunned look, "love is a big thing Anna, and to be someone's future husband is really big. I can't be Elsa's King; I don't deserve her."

"Why not? Is she not good enough for you?" Anna asked in an angry voice.

"What? No! She is beautiful and look at me." Hiccup said pointing to all of him. "She deserves someone that can make her happy, even my name means 'runt'. She needs a man, not a boy. She needs a man who can take care of her, who can protect her from harm and can be there for her with the confidence she wants. And I am not that man." He said while slowly slipping into a depressed state of mind.

"You don't have much confidence in yourself? Do you?"

"What do you think?" he countered in a bitter tone.

Anna looked at her older friend, realizing no matter what she said, it would not flip his attitude around.

"Hiccup, look at me." Anna asked while grabbing his chin and turning so he looked at her "I don't have any experience with love of that kind, but being strong and having confidence are not the only things in a relationship. Making her happy is also important and you make her happy every time you arrive here from Berk. She smiles more when you are here then during the rest of the year. She never talks to me anymore and I don't know why, I think I did something to her and she hates me for it. No words can create confidence, only action will give you that. You may not have the confidence yet, but in time you will, whether that be tomorrow or a year from now; I don't know when. Just please make things right with Elsa before you leave tomorrow, please?" Anna pleaded while looking into his eyes

Hiccup looked into her eyes and couldn't refuse her, "Okay."

"Thank you, Hiccup. Be sure to get a good night's rest before you talk to her tomorrow." Anna said before kissing him on the cheek and leaving.

Hiccup lingered in the courtyard thinking of what to say to Elsa before retiring for the night.

* * *

As Hiccup slowly opened his eyes and realizing that the ship would come to pick him up in about an hour, he swiftly got dressed, packed up all his belongings and made his way to the courtyard. He had a hunch that he would see Elsa there, probably by Agdar's doing, and sure enough she was there. Their eyes connected before Hiccup let out a sigh and sat down next to her on the same bench that he had given all those gifts to her on Valentine's Day so many moons ago.

"Elsa, I want to apologize for the way I acted on that day. It and the weeks following it were not only rude but mean as well. I'm sorry for ignoring your apologies and you as well. I hope you can forgive me." He said while looking down at his feet, too ashamed to look at her face.

"Hiccup, I understand why you acted that way, and I do forgive you. I also want to ask for your forgiveness in being too forward with you, I should have taken things slower, but I have been so alone that I just crave a partner to share my feelings with. So, will you start a court ship with me?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

Hiccup didn't say anything for a moment before he turned his face to look at her.

"Elsa, I'm sorry but I can't. I don't believe in myself yet, plus with everything that happens on Berk, there is a great chance that I could die before I even become Chief or the King that you want me to be. I would hate to start something then die from my ship sinking or getting eaten by a dragon." He whispered.

Elsa looked away knowing what he said was the truth, with everything that happened on the sea and on his homeland death was right around the corner for him. "I understand."

"I don't want to waste your time or your heart on a runt like me."

Elsa looked at him and saw that he had no conviction what so ever.

"Hiccup, you are not a runt. I see so much potential in you; you just have to see it. I know in the future you will be a great teacher, leader and partner. And I am willing to wait to see that man." Elsa said while taking his hand into hers.

Hiccup looked at their hands then her face "I hope you are willing to wait a long time."

"I am." She responded.

Off in the distance they heard a ship horn, signaling that Hiccups time had come to leave.

"Well until next time, good bye Elsa." Hiccup said while getting up and pulling his hand free, Elsa did the same.

Hiccup turned to leave before he heard Elsa say 'wait'; he turned around then found her hugging him.

"Hiccup, please be safe and be careful" Elsa whispered to him while hugging him.

Hiccup returned the gesture "Don't worry I will." They held each other for a few moments before they pulled free and he left to go back home.

As Elsa looked out her window and saw Hiccup's ship disappear into the horizon she slowly brought her gloved hand to her heart and thought " _I will wait till_ _he gets his confidence, no matter how long, I will wait till he discovers who is he and what he is truly capable of."_


	7. Confidence and Loss

**Author's Notes** : Hello everyone and here is another great chapter of my beloved story; ( _corny I know_ ). I have a few big announcements today: first I have successfully passed my exams for my course and will be graduating on December sixteenth, after that I will take a certification exam in January which will allow me to become a full fledged Central Sterile Supply Technician, with that certification I will be able to get a job in any hospital anywhere in the world. Though sadly I have not been able to get a job interview as of yet and if you could send me a prayer or two, I would be most thankful. Secondly, today is my birthday; 12/12. I am a whole year older, wiser and that's about it. Thirdly, Hiccup is fifteen and Elsa is sixteen in this chapter; they are getting older and their hormones will start to play a key role in future chapters. Thus I am announcing that I intend to change this story from a T-rating to an M-rating within the next few chapters. Oh yes, get ready for the fluff and make out scenes. So I must ask that whoever is reading this story from the selections of other stories that they change the filter to " **All** " instead of the default of " **K-T** ", so they don't miss out on any future chapters. I would highly suggest that you add this site to your bookmarks or follow this story and receive alerts.

I would like to thank all of you who added this to his or her alert/favorite section and to those of you who gave a "review", I would like to give a shout out to those readers. Fantasylover4evr, Cloud4012, KtyouVsWriting, the-unknown-guardian, ravenx1988, supersandman86, orca3553, RiptideIsAwesome199, octaviangradius, parker and last but certainly not least Noctus Fury. And concerning reviews made by Wixeron and RandomReader7; we have worked out our differences and there is peace between us; just in time for the holidays. As for Criticzar, I have yet to offer a olive branch because of studying for my exams, so I apologize for that; expect one in the future. Whether you choose to accept it however is up to you.

Now onto my longest chapter yet, this will be the average size of my chapters henceforth. So here it is the chapter you all have been waiting for, the one with Hiccups leg.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

Chapter 7

 _Confidence and Loss_

He had shot down a Night Fury, he couldn't believe it, not only that but he had trained it and become friends with it. He had accomplished so much in just a few short weeks. Tomorrow was the qualification round to see who would be allowed to kill a dragon to become a true Viking. He grimaced at the thought of killing a dragon. What he had done was a major accomplishment, but he couldn't tell anyone, because they would most likely kill Toothless and then banish him or worse. If he was banished, he would hope that Elsa and Agdar would allow him to live in Arendelle.

As he settled into his chair and looked out the skylight of his room he noticed it was a full moon which gave him almost enough light to begin his letter, so to make up the difference he pulled a candle out of his drawer and lit it. The flame's light brightened the once darkened room and even gave a small feeling of warmth to the cool air around him. He grabbed his new graphite pencils which were a gift from Elsa from his last birthday. He remembered receiving the package and unfurling it on his bed. The canvas bag and the new paper and pencils neatly aligned next to each other. And next to the paper was a letter from Elsa asking him how everything was and how he was doing. Smiling at the memory he connected the pencil with the parchment and started to write.

" _Dear Elsa, I can't believe it has been over a year since I last saw you and so much has happened to me in a good way. I shot down a dragon, but then released it because I saw myself in the dragon; scared and uncertain of its future and I could not kill it. It sounds weird I know, but if you were there you would understand. I have learned so much about dragons and they can be tamed and taught! We don't have to kill dragons survive; we can use them and co-exist with them._

 _I hope one day I can show you Toothless, he is amazing. He can fly to places Vikings have never gone before; we have flown through the clouds and even under the water's surface for a few seconds. I rigged up a harness and suit so I can steer him with my feet. I discovered that half of his tail was torn off when I shot him down, I felt horrible. I basically prevented_ _him_ _from flying, thus making him an easy target for my fellow Vikings or predators. I feel like I have found my true purpose in life and that is to educate people about dragons and to train them, the only problem is that no one else knows about Toothless and what I can do with them, well except you now. Over the last few weeks I used my knowledge of what I learned from Toothless to excel in dragon training, one could say I cheated, but I don't think I did. Everyone is so impressed with me and even Astrid took notice, either that or she is actually mad that the attention is not on her for once."_ Hiccup chuckled at the thought of Astrid looking flustered at him upstaging her in the arena. It felt amazing to be noticed and praised by his own people instead of blamed and ridiculed. _"My father even gave me a real Viking helmet, horns and all. I feel like he is actually proud of me and loves me. Tomorrow though is the qualifier to see who gets to kill a dragon, now I will try and intentionally throw the match so Astrid can win. I would never be able to kill a dragon, not after having Toothless as a friend. If by the off chance that I win, I will most likely leave Berk and hope that you will allow me and Toothless to live with you permanently. I know your father might not be too keen with having a dragon around as a pet, but I will show him all the benefits and hopefully in time take you on a flight with him through the clouds._

 _I hope to see you soon if things work out that way, but in case my father accepts my idea which is a very long shot, and then I will see you later on. Well time to go to bed, I will need all the energy I can get for tomorrow's match. By the time you get this letter though, I will either be flying on Toothless to live with you or another letter will arrive confirming my father has gone with my idea. Till next time Elsa. Your Friend, Hiccup_ "

Hiccup looked the letter over and when he was satisfied with his work he prepared the letter for travel and made sure to give it to Trader Johann when it was dark and Snotlout was not around. After doing just that, he made his way to his room and prepared a basket for travel just in case he had to leave in a hurry. He took his journal, his most important tools to maintain the harness for Toothless, clothing, some old keep sakes and some dried food for the trip. Finally, he fell back onto his old wooden bed, let his eyes shut and let his mind wander to a world where dragons and man co-existed in peace.

* * *

"Elsa, you received a letter from Hiccup" Agdar announced at lunch and then handed her the letter with a small smile. Elsa took the rolled up parchment delicately and set it aside, not wanting her parents to think she couldn't live without Hiccup. She had to show her independence, she knew if she and Hiccup did get together in the end, she would have to live on her own without him for several months since he would have to go back and forth between Berk and Arendelle. She smiled at the thought of being married to Hiccup; she would finally have someone to share everything with without fear that she would hurt him.

After lunch was concluded she made her way to her room, once she closed the door and sat down at her desk she opened the letter and began reading, _"Dear Elsa, I can't believe it has been over a year since I last saw you and so much has happened to me in a good way. I shot down a dragon, but then released it because I saw myself in the dragon and I could not kill it. It sounds weird I know, but if you were there you would understand. I have learned so much about dragons …_ _Well time to go to bed, I will need all the energy I can get for tomorrow's match. By the time you get this letter though, I will either be flying on Toothless to live with you or another letter will arrive confirming my father has gone with my idea. Till next time Elsa. Your Friend, Hiccup"_

Elsa smiled at the thought of Hiccup living with her permanently; she wouldn't have to think about that Astrid girl being near Hiccup. It seemed that no matter what, the odds were in her favor for once. If she didn't receive a letter Hiccup would be living with her and if she did, then Hiccup would be happy and she could visit him finally. " _Not only that but he seems to have more confidence in himself, maybe he would be open to starting a courtship with me._ " Elsa thought.

All she had to do was wait for a few days, either she would see a dragon flying through the skies or another letter indicating Stoick made peace with the dragons. For the first time in a while Elsa felt happy and almost worry free. Then she heard a knock at the door.

"Yes?" She asked towards the door.

"It's me, Ms. Hornsby; would you like to continue your language sessions today?"

Tucking the letter away into one of her drawers, she hastily walked to the door and opened it to reveal Ms. Hornsby. She had gotten older of course and now her hair had started to grey.

"Yes, I would like that, please come in."

She moved out of the way to allow her greying teacher into the room.

"Thank you, your Royal Highness. Now you have done extremely well in speaking and writing the different languages, now you must identify and respond back to me in a quick manner." Ms. Hornsby replied taking out the desk chair and placing it in front of the bed. Elsa sat down at the end of the bed and watched as her tutor sat down in the chair and pulled out a book then opened it.

"I will ask a question in one language then you answer that question in the same language, then I will change the language and so on and so forth, understand?" She asked

"Yes, I am ready" Elsa answered back, flexing her hands nervously.

"Hur mår du idag Elsa?"

" _Sverige."_ Elsa thought. _"_ Jag mår bra tack _._ " Elsa replied with ease.

"Very good Ms. Elsa, let us continue."

And so in a few hours of back and forth questions Elsa had correctly demonstrated that she could speak the native languages of the Kingdoms of Sverige, the Southern Isles, Suomi, Weselton and the Deutscher Bund nearly perfectly. All these countries were doing regular trading with Arendelle and when she would become Queen, she would have to keep up these ties with those countries, lest she wanted to embarrass or insult them by a fouled up word or two. Thus over the next few days she would have to learn everything from politics and having diplomatic relations to economics and basically running a country. Sure she had been learning this for over three years now, but for some reason the sessions became harder and longer.

" _I really hope to see or hear from Hiccup soon._ "

* * *

The fog over the island had lifted revealing a wasteland of broken ships, catapults, and a now dormant volcano with one whole side caved in. It had been an entire day since their battle with the Red Death and there was much work left to do.

"Stoick, how is yer boy doin?" Gobber asked while looking down at the sleeping form of his student.

"He's alive, thank Odin." Stoick said as he stoked the fire, he heard hammers hit metal and wood being put into place to construct a ship to get off the island to go back to Berk. He looked down at his son, then to his amputated leg, grimacing at the thought of his son losing an appendage at such a young age. He, himself had been very lucky in that he never lost any legs or arms, not even a pinky. Now his son whom he had neglected over the years had saved them all from death and he did so without thinking about his safety. He and nearly everyone else felt ashamed for either ignoring or bullying him.

" _Odin, if you let me son live, I promise to be a better father to him. I'm sorry for ignoring him for the sake of the village, I will make any atonement for my sins. Please, I beg ye_." Stoick thought as he looked at his son, tears coming to his eyes at the thought of losing his only son. He knew just because he had survived the amputation didn't mean he couldn't die from an infection or something. The sooner they had fixed the fleet the sooner they could get Hiccup to Gothi to be taken care of. Now Snotlout had suggested that they take the dragons back and be ferried over one at a time. That could work, but the idea of leaving his people on an island alone, while he flew a dragon was unsettling. Even though the dragons had saved them from certain death, that did not erase the hundreds of years of warfare the two had done to each other. He did not trust them fully just yet. He will not get on a dragon until he believed them could be truly trusted. Trust cannot be earned from one single action, but only from multiple flowing actions and time in-between can it begin to heal the transgressions of the past.

Wiping a tear from his eye Gobber stroked his mustache and looked at his old friend. "Ye know ye should let his new friends come take a look at him, especially Astrid. She has been asking me questions about em for several hours and they are getting annoying, if ye ask me." Gobber said then moved to turn around.

" _Friends? Oh Odin, what to tell Elsa! Her future husband is lying near death next to a camp fire and she has no idea. I must dispatch a letter as soon as possible to Agdar, but whom to send? Gobber? No, he would be needed to make a prosthetic limb for the boy. What about Spitelout? Can I trust him? Yes, he will do."_ Stoick thought.

"Gobber, how are the ships coming along?" Stoick asked jumping to his feet with renewed vigor.

Gobber stopped his turning and looked at his lifelong friend with a wide eye " _where did this energy come from?_ " he wondered.

"Well, four will be done in about an hour and one is ready now, but only one person can fit on it since it was built with the leftover wood that was only partially burnt. Why?"

"It will have to do. Bring me Spitelout if you can, I need to have a word with him."

Gobber went off in search for Spitelout who should have been working on helping repair the ships. As Gobber did that, Stoick picked up a piece of paper, wood and a pencil that had fallen out of his son's vest. He needed to write the letter to give to Spitelout, to tell the King what happened and what he could do to help.

After nearly ten minutes he looked up to see his second in command walking his way.

"You needed to see me Chief?" Spitelout asked coming to stand in front of his chief.

"Spitelout I have a special mission for you. You are to take that small one-man ship and deliver this letter to the King of Arendelle. From there you are to escort Princess Elsa to Berk if that is what the King chooses. Understand?" Stoick asked in a commanding voice.

Spitelout looked at his Chief in disbelief, but did not speak his doubts about the mission. It was about time he went on a mission; it was getting boring from lack of battles. This would do him some good.

"Understood Chief" he said while holding out his hand.

Stoick gave the letter to Spitelout and patted him on the shoulder, "May Odin grant ye great speed. Now go!"

They walked over to the small boat which consisted of a simple sail and a wooden oar to steer, nothing fancy.

Spitelout nodded, boarded the smaller ship and rigged the sail. Stoick pushed the ship out into the sea and waved sending out his second command on this important journey. He should reach Arendelle in four days if he had good winds. Walking back to the camp fire he saw Astrid kneeling over Hiccup and inspecting him, not only her but the rest of the youths.

"Aye, what is this?" He asked aloud.

Startled the teens moved away from Hiccup all except for Astrid who stayed at his side.

"How is he Chief?" Astrid asked shyly.

"He's alive that much is certain, whether he stays like that is up to the Gods."

Nothing was said for a moment as Stoick's words sunk into the teens minds.

"Is there anything we can do Chief?" Fishlegs asked before kicking some sand pebbles off of the mat that they were standing on. Toothless perked up at the sound of movement, he looked at the pebbles then to Fishlegs. Fishlegs only waved his hand and stood completely rigid before taking a step back. Toothless' nose flared before going back to sleep near Hiccup.

"Yes, you and Astrid look after him and if he wakes up come get me immediately. You three come with me, we will help on the ships." He said pointing to Snotlout and the twins who naturally groaned at the idea of working.

After early afternoon, the ships were ready to sail. It would be a tight fit, but he believed he could get everyone home in one go.

"Now, be very careful movin me son!" Stoick yelled to the teens that were moving Hiccup on to the ship.

"Yes, Sir" they yelled back, in between their groans.

After securing the makeshift stretcher in place, the sails were cast and a strong wind was able to pull them off the shore and into the open sea with the amazement of everyone on board, "thank you Njörðr" Stoick whispered into the wind. Toothless bounced up onto the ship and curled around Hiccup, trying to protect his friend from the cold. The other dragons flew over the ships in a loose formation.

By nightfall they had reached Berk and Stoick carried Hiccup directly to Gothi who set upon preventing infection and cleaning the stump.

Gobber took measurements and started work on building a prosthetic limb and new tail for Toothless that would work with Hiccups new leg.

As Stoick looked down at his son who only groaned to let him know he was alive, he thought

" _I hope Elsa is able to cope with all these changes, mercy I hope she can be calm around dragons."_

Said dragons were perching on top of every building in sight, from the forge to his own home. "I hope I don't have to clean up dragon droppings tomorrow, Odin knows it was bad enough having the houses burn down, now it will smell like dead fish mixed with vomit. Trade one evil for another I suppose, at least this evil can't kill me." He said as he saw a sheep walk over to a dropping where he sniffed it and immediately fainted. " _At least I don't think it can_."

* * *

"Your Majesty? There is an emissary from the Isle of Berk with a letter addressed to you." A Royal Guard announced after knocking on the door to the royal bed chambers of the King and Queen. It was after ten o'clock at night, Spitelout had made the trip in four days. He was exhausted but did not show it, he was a Viking. Vikings could go without sleep for days and food for weeks to complete a mission. Surely this was not the hardest mission he had ever been sent on, but it was the most boring. Being on a small ship for four days straight with nothing to do but sail to a port was mind numbing. He wanted to read the letter to break up the hours of lone sea but his honor got in the way, he would never read a letter that was not addressed to him. Now he was about to possibly talk to a King and Queen who could order the destruction of his homeland with ease. Now they might not have had the best army in the land, but he knew Arendelle was more advanced than Berk, surely they had some sort of secret weapon. Looking down to make sure he looked presentable, he stood in a rigid pose to make it less obvious that he was near collapse from lack of food, water and sleep.

"One moment" he heard Agdar say through the door.

And true to his word a moment later Agdar and Idun came out in their thick robes made of fine green, yellow and purple fabrics. The King walked calmly over to him and looked him up and down as if seeing that he was exhausted from the trip.

"What is your name Viking?"

"Spitelout your majesty." He replied in a respectful tone while giving a small bow. "Stoick sent me four days ago to give you this important letter; I implore you to read it now." Spitelout said while offering him the letter.

Agdar took it gently and nodded his head in thanks; he unfurled the letter and began to read. Idun took a look at the Viking who seemed to have trouble standing straight. She turned to the Guard who stood nearby, "Take Mr. Spitelout to the kitchen and have one of the servants make something for him, then give him a room to sleep in." She said in a gentle tone.

"Yes, my Queen." The Guard said before directing the Viking to follow him toward the kitchen.

Once she saw the Viking had gone she turned back to her husband, whose face had turned white with horrow. "Dear, what is wrong?" she asked alarmed coming to his side and putting a loving hand on his shoulder.

When Agdar felt his wife's hand on his shoulder he whipped his head to her startled. He tried to form words but failed, finally after two tries his voice came back to him. "Something horrible has happened to Hiccup." The King then gave his wife the letter as he took a seat in one of the chairs that lined the dimly lit hallway. After a few moments she too came to sit by his side, tears visibly streaming down he cheeks. "My God, how…how do we tell Elsa? She will be devastated. He's alive, but he will always walk with a limp." The Queen stated, her voice trembling.

Agdar took her hands in his and looked at Idun, "Do you want to tell her?" He asked. "I want to have a ship immediately prepared for the trip to Berk, I will also have Aaron, the castles physician and Gerda accompany Elsa to the island for support."

"Yes, I will tell her." Her husband took her into his arms and hugged her "Elsa, will manage, she is strong." He stated, "Yes, she is. She will have to be in the days and weeks to come." She replied.

They released their hold on one another and set about their work. Agdar going to the Guards garrison and ordering a ship be made ready for the trip, while Idun walked to her eldest daughter's room. When she arrived at Elsa's room, her closed hand hovered above the door, sucking in one deep breath before knocking then releasing. She heard a tired 'yes' before entering.

She slowly made her way into the room, sitting down on the bed before reaching over and lighting the gas lamp on the bedside table.

Elsa sat up and rubbed her eyes, her hair was down and she herself was wearing a light blue night gown. "Mother, what is it? It is really late for a bed time story."

The Queen took Elsa's hands in her own and smiled at her eldest daughter, "Elsa we have received a letter from Stoick concerning Hiccup." She stated trying to look strong.

" _Letter? Oh, the letter! This must mean Stoick has made peace with the Dragons."_ Elsa thought happily.

She was about to ask about the letter when she looked at her mother, she noticed dried tears, alarmed she asked "Mother, why were you crying?"

"Elsa, something has happened to Hiccup." Her mother responded as a stray tear got past her defenses and slid down her cheek.

Thinking the worst Elsa started to lose control of her emotions and powers; her hands clutched the sheets and in response to the fear of Hiccup being dead the bed became ice, "Elsa! Elsa, calm down, Hiccup is alive." Her mother yelled at her, "but, you said something happened." Elsa replied tearfully.

"Yes, something did happen. Hiccup was involved in a dragon battle and he lost part of his left leg from the knee down. He will be forced to wear a prosthetic limb from now on. We are preparing a ship to take you to Berk in case you want to see Hiccup. Do you?" Her mother asked her while putting a soft hand on her shoulder for comfort.

Elsa took a moment to regain control of her emotions and senses, slowly the ice rescinded and she was able to look at her mother. "Yes, I want to go. When will I leave?" She said moving off the bed toward her closet, bringing out a large trunk. She began to fill said trunk with different winter related dresses and coats.

"Elsa, do you want me to go with you?" Idun asked as she was putting a scarf into the trunk. Elsa stopped and looked at her mother, "No, I must do this on my own. I need to prove to myself that I can take care of him." She replied before turning back to her trunk and moving some unmentionables into the inner side. Once she was satisfied that she had everything she needed, Elsa started to drag the trunk toward the door, until her mother put a hand back onto her shoulder.

"Elsa the ship is not leaving for many hours, try and get some sleep. I know it will be hard, but try and reserve your strength and your emotions for the next battle."

Elsa looked at her mother strangely "Battle?" She asked cocking her head to the side.

Idun led Elsa to a nearby chair where she sat down, "yes, when Hiccup wakes up he will be in a lot of pain, he will most likely go through a range of emotions from losing his leg. Going from having a leg one day and losing it the next will put a lot of strain on his mind and he will most likely lash out at you or berate himself, so you must prepare yourself for that." Idun said to her inexperienced daughter.

Her mother was right Elsa had no idea how Hiccup would react to the amputation, she doubted that he would wake up and just accept it.

"Your right, I must be able to control my emotions when Hiccup sees that his leg is gone and reacts to the situation." Elsa replied as she stood back up and moved back to her bed, getting under the covers. Idun kissed her on the forehead and blew the flame out turning the room dark. "Try and sleep, tomorrow and the days following it will be strenuous and tiring."

"I will try mom" Elsa replied before closing her eyes.

The Queen took one last look at her daughter before closing the door and moving toward her chambers to wait for her husband to work out the details of the trip.

* * *

At eight o'clock the bells chimed and Elsa got up with a start instantly remembering what today was. After getting out of bed, she moved her trunk to the side of the wall near the door before retreating into the closet to prepare herself for the trip. Elsa picked out a dark purple corset and dress that was heavy on the fabric so that it would be able to stand the Northern climate, the fur around the collar would help immensely. She did her hair up in a short bun and set out on getting her boots on. As she moved towards the door she stopped and turned around moving toward her dresser. She pulled the top drawer open to reveal the gloves Hiccup gave her the last time he was here. Elsa pulled on the gloves and flexed her hands, after everything was secure she started her trek toward the commons room, surely her parents would be there she thought.

And sure enough they were; Gerda the castle's head maid, Aaron the physician and ten Royal Guards with a Sergeant she could see forming outside through an open window.

"What is all this mother?" Elsa asked gesturing to the packages the physician was inspecting.

The physician bowed at being recognized by the princess, "Ah Princess Elsa, I am Aaron. I will be coming with you on the trip to Berk. I was told that your friend Hiccup has received a serious leg wound and I will see to his recovery from said wound." Aaron said while recovering from the bow. "As for Gerda, she is coming to take care of you and help you in any way and as for the Royal Guards; they are coming to make sure we all come back safe from the trip." Aaron replied with a smile before speaking again. "It will be good to see Hiccup again, though it is sad that we keep meeting under these circumstances."

"Oh, thank you for the explanation that explains a lot." Elsa said to the old doctor with a kind smile.

Agdar and Idun approached Elsa with sad, but hopeful smiles on their faces, "Are you sure you don't want us to come?" her mother asked as she grasped her daughters hands.

"I'm sure mother. But thank you for having all this sent for Hiccups aid." Elsa said as she motioned to the doctor and his supplies, which measured nearly four feet tall and she could see the weight of all the packages was creating creases in the rugs.

"It is nothing; we must show our support to our allies whenever they are in trouble or harmed." The King replied loud enough so Spitelout could hear; said Viking walked over to the Royal Family.

"Princess Elsa, my name is Spitelout; I am Hiccup's Godfather of sorts." He said while in mid bow.

Elsa nodded to the tall Viking and then gave her family a hug, before beginning to walk toward the main door, but then stopping. "What will you tell Anna?" she asked after she noticed that Anna was not present. Perhaps she was still sleeping, Anna did have a tendency to sleep in till mid-day.

"The truth, Hiccup was hurt and you are taking care of him. She will understand. Be sure to take care of yourself and give our love to Hiccup." The Queen replied then waved goodbye to her daughter. Agdar moved forward and gave Elsa a letter, "what is this?" Elsa asked.

"This is a letter for Hiccup, give it to him after he wakes. It will help him cope." He said then hugged Elsa. Elsa nodded and returned the hug while grasping the letter.

The Royal Guards helped move the vast amount of supplies, food and other needs onto the clipper ship. As Elsa watched the loading process she noted that there was at least fifteen hundred pounds of food: dried and perishable, two hundred pounds of medical supplies, her trunk, various barrels of water and wine, fuel for the lanterns and lamps, and of course various types of weapons; just in case. She also saw the Captain of the ship, who was a middle aged man with grey hair and a tall build ask Spitelout various questions while pointing to a map. Less than an hour later the ship was passing the entrance to the fjord breaking into the North Sea. She heard the trip with good winds would take four to five days; Aaron the doctor had given her some books to read, he said that these books would help her understand what Hiccup will be going through.

The first night was mild with a cool wind blowing Northward, half of the crew was above maintaining the masts while the other half slept below the top deck. Elsa had been given a private cabin in the rear of the ship, she was currently watching the sea waves crest and fall on top of each other again and again. She had nearly read one book before she was served her dinner, roast duck with potatoes and tea. The one drink she loved more than any other was tea. It calmed her down and made her feel contented, she drank it so much that the servants knew that every day at four she would ring the bell for tea time. After two years of this, they showed up before she even had to ring the bell, much to her delight. Her favorite was mint or chamomile by Twinings, the English tea maker definitely knew how to make good tea.

Once her meal was finished, she continued reading till she fell asleep in her chair the book resting on her lap. It wasn't until she heard the changing of the crews at nine bells did she finally wake up. Elsa looked out of the window to see no land mass on the horizon and only open ocean behind the ship.

There was a knock at the door, "yes?" Elsa asked.

"Princess Elsa the doctor has asked that you come to his cabin, he wants to teach you something." Gerda said through the door.

"Okay, thank you Gerda" she replied.

She quickly changed into leisure attire which consisted of a purple blouse and skirt and made her way to the doctor's cabin two doors down. Knocking twice she waited for a reply, a moment later she heard a soft 'enter', she turned the handle to reveal Aaron standing behind a make shift operating table with what appeared to be a whole lamb leg.

"You asked for me Doctor?" Elsa asked.

"Ah, yes Princess Elsa. Please come stand in front of the table." He asked as he waved her over.

Elsa did as she was told coming to stand a foot from the table, "Now, Ms. Elsa when you arrive at Berk in a few days you will see firsthand the aftermath of a foot amputation. I have been asked to show you how to treat and take care of a person with such an injury." He said in a cautious tone "What you are about to see will not be settling as to why I asked that you come here before breakfast. Are you ready to learn?" he asked then offered her a seat to which she refused.

The doctor began by sawing in half the lamb's leg below the knee to show what Hiccups leg might look like. Blood, muscle and tendons oozed out of the cut and onto the table. Elsa having never seen such a sight had to look away from the leg for a moment before catching her breath. The doctor pointed out the veins, arteries, bones and muscles that made up the leg. He then sowed the wound shut with excess skin to make a stump.

"Now, this is what the stump will look like in general, but his will be a few days older. He will probably have pain in his limb for several days; we have brought morphine to help him cope with the excess pain. But know this, morphine is highly addictive, you must not give it to him whenever he wants. If you do he will become dependent upon it, he must be able to withstand all but the harshest of pains. Do you understand?" He asked while showing Elsa a vile of morphine.

Elsa looked at the harmless looking clear liquid; unconvinced that such a liquid could change lives "yes, I understand."

The doctor brought out a book and laid it next to the leg, "Now, he may also have a feeling that his limb is still there. This is called phantom pains; he may want to itch his foot even though it is gone. Now most importantly he will also feel sad, angry, frustrated and depressed. All of these feelings are normal. What you must be prepared for is that some of his frustrations will be directed at you simply because you are there. Do not let his anger affect you, do not get upset or talk back, show only love and support." The doctor said while handing Elsa a book labeled " _How to cope._ "

With the passage of the next couple of hours Elsa learned how to dress a stump, properly wash around the wound, what kind of activities were allowed to help accelerate growth of muscles and what not to do when taking care of the leg. It felt good to do work with her hands other than write or turn pages of books. She felt like she was actually doing some good.

By the time she was finished it was nearly three in the afternoon and she was starved. Returning to her cabin she found steaming potatoes, asparagus, and a salad prepared for her. She was silently grateful that there wasn't any meat; she wouldn't be able to stand the look of charred animal for at least few days. After her meal, she went up onto the quarterdeck to have a look around. She found the Royal Guards studying a map of Berk, probably learning how to protect her from harm if the need occurred. Spitelout was talking to the Captain of the clipper about navigation and shipping techniques. She just took a seat near the railing and thought of Hiccup before the sun set and she retired for the night. Climbing into the soft sheets and mattress, she fell asleep to the sounds of the ocean. The next day and night had the same routines: wake up, read, learn new things from the doctor in terms of care, eat, read, talk to Gerda about what to expect emotionally and then sleep some more.

It wasn't until the fourth day did she hear 'land ahoy' shouted by one of the watchmen. She and everyone else immediately went up to the top deck to see the relatively small island of Berk. In front of the island there were two tall rocks that looked like giant Vikings protecting the harbor. There was a giant fire inside the mouth of each. To the left of the village it looked like there was a large cage on the rocks and to the right there was a large forest.

"Ms. Elsa I suggest you get ready to go ashore; I assume you will want to see Hiccup as soon as you get on land. Correct?" Gerda asked as she came up from the lower deck.

"Right, thank you. Come and get me when we have docked." Elsa told her as she walked down to her cabin.

She went into her room and put on her dark long sleeved purple dress, winter boots, a magenta cape that stopped at her ankles and of course the green gloves that Hiccup had made for her. There was a sudden jolt as the ship docked and was secured to the harbor. She could hear various conversations going on through the open port holes. A moment later there was a knock at her cabin door, "Princess Elsa, are you ready?" Gerda asked through the door.

Elsa waited a moment gathering her inner strength not to show anything, one mistake and everyone would know. Letting out a pent up breath she turned and opened the door revealing Gerda, Aaron and a Sergeant of the Royal Guard.

"We are ready for you Princess Elsa" the Guard said to her in full military attire with a sword attached at the hip and a lancer resting against his right shoulder.

She could only nod, butterflies in her stomach made themselves known as she climbed up to the deck and looked out on the beautiful calm day on Berk, the sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew against her face.

She could make out a large man with a copper colored beard, " _That must be Stoick the Vast, Hiccups father_ " she thought as she walked down the gangplank. There were five Guards already on the dock waiting for her and five more bringing up the rear; Gerda and Aaron were right behind her.

As she drew closer and closer to Stoick she saw him smile at her and bow slightly, as she stopped in front of the large Viking she gave a curtsey and tried to give a soft smile to lighten the mood.

"Princess Elsa it is an honor to finally meet ye, I have heard wonderful things about ye from yer parents. I hope they are well?" he asked with his light accent.

"Stoick the Vast thank you for allowing us to come to Berk in this most difficult time and my parents are doing well, thank you." Elsa replied.

Elsa looked around at the dozens of Vikings lining the harbor and dock and staring at her in general. Finally, she brought up the matter that had brought her here. "How is Hiccup? I hope he is doing well?" She asked in earnest.

"Aye, he is alive and recovering. Gothi says that he will pull through with a little bit of scarring and a small limp."  
Elsa breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes becoming cloudy with tears from the emotional relief, "that is wonderful news Chief Haddock, I am truly relieved at this news."

The sounds of supplies being unloaded broke the calm atmosphere, she saw Stoick look to this and asked "what is all this?" While motioning to the various boxes.

"We have brought nearly two hundred pounds of medical supplies for Hiccup and your people; I have also brought Aaron our castle's physician and Gerda who is a trained nurse and servant for our family. They will assist Hiccup in any way possible." Elsa replied bringing her hands down to her stomach and linking them together. She had to do something with her hands otherwise Stoick would see how much she was fidgeting.

Elsa looked at Stoick to gage his reaction for the help that was offered to him, she saw him smile and wipe a tear from his eye.

"Thank you Princess Elsa, we are indebted to ye and yer family. Come I will escort ye to Hiccup so ye can see him" Stoick said as he turned and started to walk to the dock entrance that winded up the side of a cliff.

She followed and heard the procession of guards and ship crews follow her while carrying the supplies. She could hear heavy breathing coming from Aaron, the poor white haired old doctor was having trouble making the trip up, but thankfully Gerda helped the doctor to the top of the village entrance.

"Welcome to Berk, Princess Elsa" Stoick called out as he showed Elsa the village. She looked around to see that nearly every building looked new and there were large fire pits in the center of the village with a massive staircase leading to two tall doors nearly as high as the ship that they sailed in on. Behind her she saw a forge which is where Hiccup must have spent most of his time building the gloves for her and other items for her family. She spotted a house to the left of the two tall doors that they were heading towards, " _that must be where Hiccup is_ " Elsa thought.

Sure enough they got to the front door to which Stoick opened to reveal a large room, there was a stair case on the left leading to a second floor landing, various shields and swords on the right wall with supporting columns that supported the middle and a large fire pit in the center with a bed further in. And on the bed laid Hiccup, he was still sleeping from the battle nearly ten days ago. By his side was a chair with a young woman sitting on it, " _from Hiccups letters this must be Astrid, she really is beautiful. Remember conceal, don't feel, don't let it show_." Elsa said to herself as she tensed up at the thought of her Hiccup being in close proximity to another girl.

Astrid stood up and leaned against the bed post staring at the new visitors.

"Any change Astrid?" Stoick asked the young Viking as he moved to lean against the stair case.

Astrid just shook her head, "no, who are these people Chief?" Elsa heard her ask.

"Astrid, this is Princess Elsa of Arendelle. She will be taking care of Hiccup for the next few weeks." Stoick stated while motioning to Elsa.

Astrid just gave her a once over, narrowing her eyes slightly at her. " _Does she think of me as a threat or something_?" She thought as she looked back at Hiccups' prone form.

Elsa moved into the room stopping just before Hiccup's bed and standing next to Astrid, she reached out and brushed Hiccup's bangs that lay on his forehead. She retracted her hand and breathed another sigh of relief " _he is alive, thank you God_."

She then heard more footsteps behind her signaling the procession had moved into the room and setting down various containers along the walls. She saw doctor Aaron move around to the foot of the bed, "may I?" He asked Stoick motioning toward the sheet that covered Hiccup's lower half.

"Go right ahead doctor. I trust ye to take care of me son" he responded.

"Thank you Chief Haddock and I will do the best I can for your young son." He gently grabbed the sheet and gave Elsa a look before slowly revealing Hiccup's amputated leg. The stump looked healthy with stitching still in place, there was a little swelling and there was a slight discoloration around the end of the leg. The doctor gently examined the leg and then set it back down. "Whomever stitched the leg knew what they were doing, amazing work." He said turning to the chief, "Though I recommend that this bandaging be replaced, it is starting to smell." He told Stoick.

Stoick looked at the red and yellow colored bandages that were once white, "aye, I suppose they do need changing. Do ye wish to change them?" He asked.

"Yes we will change them, excuse me" he replied while going over to a large crate and opening it, reaching in and pulling out various medical supplies including gauze, bandages, pads and a metal clip. He looked up at Elsa as he laid the various bandages on the foot of the bed "do you wish to assist Elsa?" He asked gently. She nodded in return moving to un-wrap the old bandages revealing the stump, after cleaning it and rewrapping it in a clean dressing she set it back down on the flat bed.

Elsa smiled to herself at the small accomplishment " _that wasn't so bad, maybe this won't be so hard after all_ " she thought.

"Chief Stoick has he eaten anything since the battle?" Elsa asked.

"No, he only woke up for a moment three days ago; we quickly had him drink some water before he fell asleep again. I am starting to worry that that he will starve to death. Doctor Aaron is there anything we can do for him regarding that area?" Stoick asked looking down at the old doctor.

Aaron put his hand to his mouth thinking for a moment, "well there is one method but it is a long shot, hardly anyone uses it."

"What is it, doctor?" Elsa asked.

"Well, it's called intravenous therapy; no one uses it because it is still in the development stages. But if it works then it will give him his strength back and will be able to provide his body with the nutrients that it needs. Should I proceed?" He directed the last part to Stoick.

Stoick took a moment before turning back and nodding his head.

The experienced doctor turned to the large procession of Guards and boat crewmen "there are too many people in this room, Sergeant I suggest you have your men go outside to secure the house while the ship's crew goes back to the boat." He said to the group in general.

"Right, you heard the man. Guards go and secure the outside; I want you spaced evenly around the house. I will guard the door; Captain take your crew and bring the rest of the supplies to this location then lock down the clipper and await further orders." The Sergeant said in a commanding tone to the men in the house and on the yard out front.

"Yes, Sir." They replied moving out of the room.

Soon there was only the six of them left, "now that is better, more room to maneuver." Aaron said relieved while he took out the things needed for the procedure.

He took a large needle and inserted it into the underside of Hiccups arm near the elbow, then attached a tube to the needle that flowed to a glass bottle. There was clear vile that showed a steady drip as the clear liquid flowed into Hiccup's arm. "Stoick is there a pole or something that can hold this, it needs to remain stationary." He asked the massive Viking.

"Ah yes, wait one moment" Stoick replied moving to grab a tall looking coat rack.

"Perfect." Aaron said then attached a hook to the top of the bottle to let it hang from the rack, so that is remained level. "Okay, this bag will need to be replaced every couple of hours."

"How will we know it is working?" Astrid asked. Elsa was almost startled; she forgot Astrid was there since she had been so quiet.

Aaron looked at her then the boy, "Once his body starts to return to its normal color and his face is not pale anymore, then we will know it is working." He replied in a quiet voice.

All Elsa could do was look a Hiccup's prone form and hope for the best.

Unbeknownst to her and Astrid, Gerda nudged the doctor and Stoick and motioned for them to leave so Elsa and Astrid could look after Hiccup, they both nodded as they crept quietly away leaving the two women that cared for and possibly loved Hiccup alone with each other in a room filled with various weapons and sharp items.

After a few tense moments of no conversation or movement, only the sounds of breathing from the three occupants could be heard, did Elsa finally make the first move. She turned to Astrid who was on her right, "I do believe we have not been properly introduced, I am Princess Elsa of Arendelle and you are?" Elsa said as she performed a small curtsey, Astrid turned and made a small bow; "I am … Astrid of Berk" she replied slowly for she did not have a title. "How do you know Hiccup?" She asked while looking at the sleeping boy.

"Oh, we have been friends for nearly all of our lives. Hiccup comes to my father's kingdom once every three years for studying and learning of certain traits and languages. You could say it is future training for becoming chief of your village." Elsa paused and a small smile came to her face. "I didn't think it was possible at the beginning but he has become an integral part of my life and when I heard he was hurt; I came as fast as possible to ensure his health." Elsa said softly while looking at Astrid. "Besides it is the least I could do for all that he has done for me over the years." She whispered as she touched the bottom left bed post.

Astrid narrowed her eyes at this possible inclination of romantic feelings for her friend, "what has he done for you in particular?" she asked in a chipper tone, trying to reveal nothing.

Elsa took a seat on the edge of the bed seeing this was going to be a possibly long back and forth conversation, she saw Astrid take a seat on a nearby stool. "Oh, he has been there when I needed him the most, he made me these wonderful gloves" Elsa looked down and flexed her hands "and he gave me a great Valentine's Day celebration including giving me my first romantic kiss on the cheek" Elsa said while giving a small blush as the memory.

Astrid felt anger and jealousy boil in her chest finding out that this 'princess' liked Hiccup in the same manner she did. " _I have to win Hiccup over or else he would pay no attention to me and quite possibly leave Berk forever to live with this girl who looks so prim and proper. Ever since that flight he had taken me on I saw the real Hiccup, a nice young man who only wanted the best for those around him. A man who was willing to die so that his friends and family could live in a world without fear; now that is a real Viking. And I want that kind of Viking._ " Astrid thought to herself.

Astrid crossed her right leg over her left and fixed her skirt, "well I can't disagree with you there, his cheeks are very attractive. I gave him a kiss on the cheek about two weeks ago after he took me on a romantic flight on his dragon, Toothless. That was the best night of my life; we saw things that were so beautiful: the stars, the moon, the sun setting on Berk and to top it all off we flew through the clouds, it was amazing." Astrid replied with a knowing smile; trying to gain back the lead.

Elsa was taken back at the thought of Hiccup being romantic with anyone besides her, " _You have to remember Elsa, Hiccup is on Berk for thirty-five out of thirty-six months. You only have him to yourself for one month and there was always a chance that he would fall in love with this girl during that time."_ Elsa thought _, "I must think of a way to blow this girl out of the water and reclaim the advantage."_

Elsa studied the girl in front of her; she had blonde hair with long bangs with a braided ponytail in back. She wore a spiked skirt and spiked shoulder pads " _now that is interesting_ ," she was slimmer than her but appeared to have more muscles in her arms and legs, there was even an axe near her stool. " _Pride is her weakness._ "

"Hmm, I am amazed that he would let you near him, let alone ride on his dragon considering the fact that you and your friends abused him so much over the years." Elsa said in a serious tone with a pointed look as she leaned forward on the bed.

Astrid narrowed her eyes at the accusation " _How dare she!_ "

"I have no idea what you are talking about, I have been nothing nice to him over the years," Astrid countered, " _well nice is pushing it._ "

"Nice? That is not what he said in his letters to me. He wrote to me saying that he tried being nice to you but you either threatened him or called him 'useless'. If that is your definition of nice, I can only imagine what being mean to him would imply." She saw Astrid shrink down in her seat at the mention of the word 'useless'. " _Even though I can finish her off I will not, I must befriend this girl to make sure she can take care of Hiccup after I leave in a friend-only manner_."

"Though he did say that you were not the worst, a boy named Snotlout physically abused him weekly and even went as far as to say he would be killing him in the future." Elsa said in a soft whisper as she gave a concerned look toward Hiccups unconscious body.

"What! I'm going to rip Snotlout's head off and shove it down his…" Astrid brought a hand up to her mouth and cleared her throat, "please excuse my display of unkind words." Astrid said trying to keep her anger in check.

Elsa smiled at the girl who was trying to reign in her emotions, though she was slightly envious that she could show emotions without fear of hurting anyone, physically that is. "Oh, it is quite alright, I feel the same way. This bully must be dealt with, though sadly I cannot do anything for it would be embarrassing for a princess to beat down a young Viking from another kingdom. So I must hope that you will show him your anger and put him in line." Elsa said with a knowing smile to which Astrid returned.

"Oh, you do not have to worry about that. He will get many kicks to his nether region soon enough." She replied while creating a fist and punching her other exposed palm, making a satisfying smacking sound.

Elsa looked to the window noticing the sun had already gone down, "Well it is time for dinner and then onto bed, it was nice talking to you Ms. Astrid." Elsa announced standing up and extending her hand outward.

"Likewise, Princess Elsa the honor was all mine." Astrid replied while shaking the outstretched hand.

Elsa let go of the young Vikings hand and looked from her to Hiccup remembering that someone needed to stay with him. She thought for a moment before turning back to Astrid.

"I have come up with a schedule so Hiccup can be looked after at all hours of the day. May I suggest that you watch over him from the mid-afternoon to the evening or whenever his father gets home? And I will watch him from the morning till your shift." Elsa asked with a small hesitant smile.

"Huh, why those hours?" Astrid countered not liking the time schedule.

Elsa smiled knowing that she would be giving herself the better hours for Hiccup to possibly wake up.

"Well, it's simple. I am the guest, which means I have more spare time than you, plus you have chores you still have to do before you can rest."

Astrid looked at her then down at the floor knowing she had been defeated, she couldn't just shirk off her responsibilities without the Chief's permission, and there was no way he would let her even if she asked.

"I suppose you are right. Fine I will watch him after your shift is done. Goodnight Princess Elsa," she replied before giving a small bow and walking out of the house.

She smiled and turned back toward Hiccup who quietly slept without a care in the world, " _you will wake up during my shift or so help me I will lose my mind_." Elsa slowly bent down and planted a kiss on his exposed cheek before pulling back and brushing his hair with her hand.

"Goodnight Hiccup, I love you." She whispered into the room.

Elsa turned around and made her way to the door opening with a bit of finesse to reveal Stoick on the porch sitting and chatting cheerily with the Sergeant of the Guards, Gerda and Aaron. As she closed the door with a soft 'thump' all four turned to look at her. "So did you two have a nice chat?" Stoick asked with a small smile and raised eyebrows.

" _He set me up._ " Elsa thought.

She told Stoick about the conversation she had with Astrid leaving out a few pieces of the conversation.

"It's good to hear you two set up a time of who is watching Hiccup and for how long." Gerda chipped in.

"Yes it is" she replied back.

Nothing was said for a moment before she got the hint "Well, I shall take my leave for the night Chief Stoick, and thank you again for letting me come to your island to take care of your son." She said while giving a full curtsey.

"Do not think anything of it Ms. Elsa. Hiccup will be so happy to see you when he wakes up. I have let your guards commandeer three empty houses a few yards down from my house, you will be comfortable there for however long you wish to stay." Stoick said while pointing out the three houses down the hill.

"Thank you for your hospitality and goodnight." Elsa replied then gave a half curtsey. She walked behind Aaron then looked at the prepared house for her, Gerda and Aaron. The other two houses were for the guards. Two of whom were standing outside the front door who bowed as she passed by them.

As she walked inside, it looked almost exactly like Hiccups house, but it felt smaller. The furnishings were all Viking in origin of course, however the rest were things Gerda had brought with them which included sheets, rugs, mattresses and other essentials. She could see two beds had been prepared for Aaron and Gerda which were located on opposite sides of the fire pit and she could only imagine hers was upstairs; more privacy, which she valued highly. After having dinner, she went upstairs to sleep, thinking of what the next few days would entail and what new things she would learn.


	8. New Beginnings and Living through it All

**Authors Notes** : Hello all, I have read a few reviews on my latest chapter and I want to thank you all for words of encouragement and gratitude. In regards to Moghulis who brought up a good point concerning the random facts about my life that I was giving away. I did not mean to come across as a know it all, I do not know everything about politics. No one does as to why politicians have so many advisors because no one person knows everything. So I wish to tell you a little bit about myself:

I am a 27-year-old male with a political science degree from the University of Virginia, with a minor in sociology. I work part time at a major retailer making minimum wage while seeking another better paying job. I recently graduated from Sentara College of Health Sciences with a completion in Central Sterile Services program. I did work at a hospital in that field cleaning instruments, trays and endoscopes. My mother is a nurse, whom I ask medical related questions in regards to this story. If you want to know more you can pm me. So I want to be clear: I am not a professional writer or a doctor. Just because I have a degree in something does not mean I know everything about that one thing. I know a lot of stuff about certain small things, but I am not a know it all and you shouldn't take it as gospel. This story is entertainment and you all should not take what you learn in here and practice it in real life. The results may not have the best outcome.

This chapter will explain a few things that you all might have found confusing in the last chapter in respects to the dragons. I am going for realism in this story in regards to Hiccup and his leg. There will be another authors note at the bottom of this chapter. I wish to give a shout out to the following reviewers: Yumikana, orca3553, octaviangradius, DarkPhantom13, Cloud4012, ravenx1988, fanfictionmakermachine, the-unknown-guardian, fantasylover4evr, Ghost, Noctus Fury, Moghulis, Kilo8 (thank you for the defense), and TheWritingFactory.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_** **or DreamWorks:** ** _How To Train Your Dragon._**

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Chapter 8

 _New Beginnings and Living through it All_

It had been four days and Elsa was getting annoyed, Hiccup made a noise or two, but had failed to wake up. Though on a better note the IV fluid made his face return to its normal color and his leg looked much better. She quickly fell into a normal routine on the small island: wake up, go to Stoick's house, watch him until Astrid came over while which she would talk to Aaron or Gerda about things. After Astrid took command of over watch duties she was then invited to go on several tours of the island including the history of Berk, inspection of the harbor and viewing of the main hall with a detailed history of each Viking chief.

After the tours and histories of the chiefs she was led out to in front of the main hall doors. Looking over the village she saw the remnants of the destroyed catapult. She then remembered about the dragons, where were they all? She hadn't seen a single trace of a dragon, not a flapping wing or a call. Elsa walked down the steps followed by her Guards to the forge, she thought she had seen a large man who looked kind of like Stoick. When she arrived that man turned out to be the blacksmith, who introduced himself as Gobber. He had a portlier body than that of Stoick. He was also missing an arm, a leg and a few teeth. Maybe she should get her eyes checked, if she believed that this man was Stoick.

"So I take it yer looking for dragons?" Gobber asked in between hammer strikes, not even glancing up.

Elsa nodded her head in confirmation.

"Stoick had them all sent away to the far side of the island, well the ones that would listen that is. The others are either in the arena or still at the remains of their former home, the nest."

Elsa looked at all the hammers, swords and shields that lined the walls of the shop. She could see a small room in the back, "may I?" She asked pointing toward the small room. Gobber nodded, to which she then moved forward deeper into the forge and pushed a blanket that had acted as a makeshift door out of the way to see that the room was actually Hiccups drawing room. There were dozens of sketches, white prints and inventions that lined the walls and hung from the ceiling. She saw a wooden wheeled contraption that had a hollowed out center as if something was meant to come out of it.

She dragged her hand across the top of it and patted the spot where she saw Hiccups initials. Suddenly without warning the tube opened and a metal ball was catapulted through the open door and into the forge. Elsa stood in shock, eyes wide and mouth agape as she heard a loud groan come from Gobber in the other room. "Oy! Don't touch any of Hiccups contraptions, they haven't been properly calibrated yet! I'm…I'm going to go lay down for a while, that ball hurt."

"I'm sorry, do you require medical attention? Gerda can take care of you if need be." Elsa offered still rooted to the ground.

"No. The ball hit my rump and I don't want to blind Gerda with my hairy backside. Thank ye though for the offer Princess Elsa. I will be back in an hour or two. And be careful of yer surroundings."

She could hear the now injured Gobber hobble his way out of the forge and then she turned a dark shade of red in embarrassment. " _Good job Elsa, not even a week here and your already hurting other people. You need to calm down and don't touch anything that looks like it could cause trouble_." Elsa thought as she moved carefully towards Hiccups drawing desk. The desk was angled so that Hiccup would not have had to hunch over to draw or write, perhaps she could replicate this in her room with her desk.

There were drawings of people, dragons and of her. A smile came to her face when she saw how amazing she looked on paper, but next to her sketch was Anna's. She picked up the drawing and sat down on the stool located next to the desk. Anna looked beautiful, she was smiling and looked like she was at dinner. Did Hiccup draw this from memory? If that is true, then he has an amazing detailed memory and mind. Perhaps she could keep this one if he allowed her to do so. A single tear fell down her face seeing Anna smile. Elsa missed her sister dearly, every time Anna knocked on her door, it took all her will power not to open the door and hug her sister. She had to be strong though, Anna's life depended on it. One day when she knew she could control her powers fully she would talk to her sister again.

Putting the drawing back on the desk she moved to walk out of the room, but stopped just shy of walking through the makeshift door. A drawing in the corner caught her eye, moving around the desk and past some inventions she saw a sketch of Astrid. This sketch had full color whereas Anna's and hers were just black and white. Seeing the sketch of Astrid grinning back at her almost wickedly, a small breath of anger gripped her hand as she crushed the drawing. When she realized what she had done the drawing was a complete loss; torn and crumbled. Surely Hiccup would have known someone was in his room if he found his work like this. Quickly she compacted the paper into a smaller ball and encased it in her hand.

Moving out of the room she walked past a hearth with a still burning fire, she looked around and saw the backs of her guards who were looking away from her. Elsa then tossed the ball of paper into the fire and watched it wither away to ashes. Smiling at getting away with the destruction of Astrid's drawing she moved out of the forge and drew in a fresh breath of air. She saw Stoick moving toward her and a slight twinge of fear went through her. Had he seen her throw something into the fire, was she discovered?

"Princess Elsa how is me son doing?" He asked moving to stand in front of her.

Elsa had to look up at the massive Viking, "He is well Chief Stoick. I believe he will wake up any day now." " _Hopefully when I am with him_." Elsa replied in a casual tone, thankful that she was in the clear.

"If I may? Is it true that you were able to send all the dragons to the far side of the island, and where is this Toothless? Hiccup said the dragon was his friend and the two had bonded apparently enough to take on a massive dragon and save the entire village."

Stoick leaned against one of the pillars that held up the forge, "I sent most of them to the far side of the island with plenty of fish as a means to keep them there for yer sake. The others are being are being held in the former training academy under lock and key. As for Toothless, he is around. I believe I last saw him on the roof of me house. I tell you Toothless nearly gave yer Guards a heart attack when they saw him on the roof. Thankfully they listened to my command about not drawing their weapons or pointing them at a dragon." Stoick said then moved off the pillar. "Would you like to see them? They will be restrained of course. Ye don't have to accept my offer if ye don't feel up to it."

"No, no. I will happily accept your offer for a tour of the dragons. Please lead on." As they moved toward the side of the island she thought she saw a black blur in her peripheral sight that was leaping from roof top to roof top till it stopped at its final destination; Hiccups house.

Nearing the wooden bridge that connected the main island to the arena over a deep chasm, she saw Spitelout waiting for them.

He bowed as she approached, "afternoon Princess Elsa, are you ready to view the dragons? They are all being restrained and some are behind bars in caves for a few of them are still wary of humans." Spitelout told her as he led the group into the arena. Pausing for a moment she looked up to see they were basically inside of a giant cage. " _So this is where it all started with the dragon killing event which led to Toothless being captured and subsequently the battle at the dragon nest for the future of every Viking on Berk_." She had been told the story by Astrid during one of their brief tradeoffs of Hiccup.

Looking back down and taking a glance at Spitelout she moved forward and curtsied toward him. "Mr. Spitelout I would like to offer me sincere thanks for sending us word of Hiccup's health. Without it we would have thought everything was just fine. I was told that you went without food or water for four days and nearly went mad from the sea. Only your training and years of being a successful Viking saved your life. So thank you again for all that you have done." Elsa stated then curtsied again.

Spitelout moved back and forth on his feet and scratched the back of his head looking somewhat embarrassed. "I accept your thanks Princess Elsa, but the part about the sea travel is a lie. Whomever told you about the sea madness and food bit must have been drinking for I was never in any danger."

Elsa's eyebrows arched a little at this new information, perhaps she should only talk to Vikings that are not drinking a lot of mead.

"In truth all Vikings take a satchel or a bundle of blankets into battle or on a journey with them. Some take a spare shield or sword, others take food and water and some take alcohol and medicine. I, for example keep a few loafs of bread, a sack of water and a spare map in case I become lost." He then pointed toward a small bundle of blankets held together by rope that was against a wall on the far side. "I did run out of food on the third day and water on the morning of the fourth, but by then I was less than half a day from your home. There were no storms, only clear skies and a good wind. In total there was never any danger of me going mad. Whomever told you this clearly is just looking for attention. I apologize for the wrong news that you received." Spitelout remarked then bowed slightly.

Elsa nodded her head at the apology. "No guilt is needed Mr. Spitelout, thank you for clarifying the story. Now if you would kindly show me some dragons, I would be most appreciative."

Spitelout moved forward past the Vikings guarding the cages and opened up a pen showing a dragon with a large body, small wings and what appeared to be warts over its body. The dragon woke up, hovered for moment before dropping onto its stomach and going back to sleep. "That is a Gronkle." Spitelout announced. " _I guess he is a little lazy_." Elsa thought, then walked over to a tall looking dragon with a large wingspan and a tail covered in spikes; it's head too had spikes. Its body was a mix of blue and yellow splotches. "And this is a Deadly Nadder, capable of throwing spikes at its enemies with a mere swipe of her tail."

At the sound of that piece of information not only did Elsa take a step back, but her Guards moved to form a small defensive screen in front of her. "Sorry, I did not mean to scare you. Moving on." He said embarrassed that he caused a small bit of trouble.

This went on for nearly an hour, Elsa learned about the different classes of dragons, what their measurements were and how they performed in previous battles against them.

She had been asked if she wanted to touch or pet a dragon but the Guards however prevented any physical contact between the Princess and 'the winged beasts' to which they referred to them as. They secretly did not want to explain to their King why his daughter was missing a finger or hand. They didn't want to take any chances.

Afterward Elsa was invited back to the Great Hall by Stoick for dinner and to be entertained with shows performed by the villagers or Hiccups new friends. Most of them trying to talk to her when she was by herself or walking through the village. Ruffnut asked about her hair, Tuffnut flirted with her, Astrid threw glares every now and then when they exchanged glances mostly due to watching Hiccup. Fishlegs stayed mostly to himself, but did ask questions about Arendelle and its history. The only one she did not see a lot of was Snotlout; he was still nursing his fresh wounds thanks to Astrid. She remembered she had told Astrid about what Snotlout had done to his cousin to which Astrid beat the crap out of him for, he literally crapped himself when she was pounding his face into the ground.

It was the fifth day since her arrival and even now and then she would gaze up from her book to look at Hiccups face to make sure he was still breathing. Doctor Aaron had taken out the IV only a few hours ago believing that he would wake up in a day or two. Now believing that he would surely wake up during her shift, she looked up more and more from her book to the point that she was barely reading. Becoming agitated that he had not yet woken up she put down the book and came to sit on Hiccups bed with him only a few inches away. She slowly and delicately brought her hand to brush his bangs out of his face to rest against his forehead.

Elsa thought for a moment about what to do next, she looked over each shoulder confirming the fact that she was alone, Gerda gone to boil some fresh water. She pursed her lips, and then retracted them. She relaxed then slowly leaned forward till she was only centimeters from his face and in a daring move she gave Hiccup a quick kiss on the lips, before pulling back quickly.

She brought her gloved hand to her lips and smiled, her lips were still quivering and her heart seemed ready to burst from this seldom act of love. As she gazed down at Hiccups face once again she noticed bursts of muscle movement in his jaw and cheeks, she immediately moved to sit up and check his pulse. He was breathing normally including take deep breaths from his mouth. She then saw his eye lids flutter open then close as if he was having trouble waking up.

"Hiccup? Are you awake?" Elsa asked the prone form of Hiccup.

"nnmmnnn" Hiccup responded slowly unable to fully wake up.

Elsa beamed with joy, smiling that he had finally woken up, partially. Elsa brought her hand up to Hiccups cheek and stroked it to help him wake up.

"Hiccup, can you wake up for me? Please?"

Slowly Hiccup opened his eyes to reveal a blurry form leaning over him; he saw blonde hair and rosy cheeks "Astrid?"

Elsa reared back and narrowed eyes at Hiccup, a look of insult etched on her face until she remembered that Astrid was one of the last faces he had seen on that fateful day. The look of hate slowly disappeared and a look of caring replaced it. "No Hiccup its Elsa, your friend from Arendelle." She reminded him in case he lost part of his memory.

Hiccup blinked a few times before a clearer view of Elsa and the room replaced the blurry image.

'Elsa? Why are you here, how…how did you get here?" Hiccup asked confused.

"Hiccup you have been asleep for nearly three weeks, I was asked to come by your father, Stoick. He wanted you to be surrounded by friends when you woke up" Elsa said gently, preparing herself to tell him about the leg issue.

"Why would I need to be cuddled" Hiccup said before moving to sit up, placing both of his hands on either side of him and using his feet to push him back towards the head board. But something was wrong as he leaned back against the board for only his right foot responded to the command, it was then he noticed that there was no small hill under the blanket next to his right foot indicating his left foot. As he gripped the blanket, Elsa spoke up.

"Hiccup I need to tell you something before you remove the blanket." Hiccup did not hear any of it wanting to find out what was wrong with his foot. As he ripped off the blanket his eyes fell to his foot or lack thereof actually. Time seemed to stop as his eyes widened and concentrate on where his foot should have been but was actually replaced with his with a discolored stump. He turned his head to Elsa whose lips were moving but he was unable to hear any of her words. His body slowly leaned back and his mouth opened to allow more air to be brought in, then his lips started to quiver, and his eyes started to become blurry from the amount of moisture coming to them.

"Where… where is my foot?" Hiccup started before asking "Elsa, what happened to my foot?" he asked earnestly hoping he could get it back somehow.

Elsa brought her hands around Hiccup to form a protective hold, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed. "Hiccup…during the end of the battle against that massive dragon you fought, you accidently flew into his tail which not only knocked you out, but broke your leg. As you fell into the fire generated from the dragon imploding, the flames badly burnt your flesh and muscles. If it was not for Toothless, who wrapped himself around you in a protective hold, you would be dead." Elsa whispered before taking a breath trying to steady her nerves, "when your father found you, he saw the remains of your foot and had to cut off the dead flesh and bone up to just below the knee.

Gobber is making a prosthetic foot for you, so you can walk normally. Hiccup, I'm so sorry this has happened to you, I…I will stay with you for however long you want." Elsa said as she looked at Hiccup face as he stared down at his stump, he did not move the entire time she spoke and that worried her.

"Hiccup? Can you hear me?" She asked earnestly.

Hiccup heard everything she said, but was unable to speak for he was thinking about how different his life would be without his foot. He thought about everything he did for his village and what does he get out of it? He loses his foot. His hands turned into fists and he started to shake with anger. "Why?! Why does everything happen to me?!" He screamed out, startling Elsa who scooted back slightly.

"What did I do that the Gods need to punish me for constantly?! I have done nothing but be nice and kind to all: my father, Astrid, Gobber, everyone in Berk and Arendelle, and you especially; I have not done anything out of malice towards anyone." He yelled then started to pound his fists on the bed with every word he spoke. "The Gods have ignored me for years; my prayers that I sent to them were cast aside. Snotlout hurt me nearly every week for something and everyone else wished I didn't exist or that I wasn't a runt and could actually handle a sword. And the one time where I save everyone from death, what happens? The Gods mock me and punish me by taking my foot!" He yelled as his hits on the bed became louder and stronger, Elsa got off the bed and stood about a meter away. She was frightened by this display of anger; she tempted calling the guards to calm Hiccup down.

Hiccup whipped his head towards Elsa, "why Elsa? Why does everything happen to me? Nothing has ever happened to you, it's only after I met you that things have started to happen to me! It's you isn't?!" He shouted before pointing an accusatory finger at her.

"You're the reason I nearly died that one time when we were out searching for trolls of all things. I wanted to stay in the castle, but you lured me out with the promise of trolls and what happened? I nearly froze to death and you came back without a scratch, you weren't even affected by the cold. Are you a witch?!" Elsa's eyes widened and took another step back as he said the word 'witch', her powers building as her fear escalated.

"That's it isn't, you're a witch! Did you curse me for not accepting your courtship?! Is this what I get for not wanting to be in a relationship just yet, for rejecting you?!" Hiccup yelled as he got out of the bed and tried to walk over to Elsa forgetting that his foot was no longer there to support him, he fell face first onto the wooden floor. But as the rest of his body impacted the floor his stump came into contact with a raised floor board.

"Ahhhhhhh!" He screamed out as he grabbed his stump in pain, waves of pain that he had never felt before rushed to him like an angry gronkle.

"Hiccup!" Elsa shouted as she tried to comfort Hiccup, but no matter hard she hugged him to her, nothing worked. "Guards, help!" She yelled over Hiccups shouts of pain, toward the front door.

Instantly three guards came through the front door and two more from the back door, they looked to see their Princess hugging Hiccup to her stomach as he was holding his stump in pain. "What happened, My Princess?" The Sergeant of the Guard asked as he looked at the scene in front of him. "Hiccup woke up and fell out of bed before I could tell him about his leg, please get the doctor" she asked fervently as Hiccups wails intensified.

The Captain nodded his head toward one of the guards who instantly left the house to seek Doctor Aaron. Him and another guard took Hiccup from Elsa and gently moved him to the bed holding him down as he thrashed around trying to conjure up the strength to not yell out in pain.

Elsa moved onto the bed again and tried to soothe Hiccup down, "Hiccup it will be alright, Doctor Aaron will come and he will make the pain go away." Hiccup was having none of it

"It hurts, it hurts so much! It's too much!" He yelled as he drove his head into Elsa stomach trying to get away from the pain.

Moments later Aaron walked into the house with Gerda and Stoick in tow, he instantly went over to his doctor bag and took out a syringe and a small vile. After getting the correct amount of liquid he found a vein above Hiccups left knee and inserted the needle into the vein, injecting the chemical. He withdrew the needle and put a small bandage on the injection point. He gave a small nod to Elsa.

"Hiccup it will be all right now. I promise that I will take care of you until you feel better, I will do whatever it takes to let you have a normal life." Elsa said as she stroked Hiccups head as he pushed his face into her hip

Hiccup looked up at her "Okay Elsa whatever yo…", but before he could finish he passed out.

Stoick looked at his son startled that he had passed out "What did yer give im?" he asked pointing to the needle.

Doctor Aaron looked at the massive Viking, "Morphine. It is used mostly to treat severe pain among other things. It is highly addictive and shouldn't be used for common illnesses. I already instructed Princess Elsa on how and when to use it. Do not fear your son is in safe hands." He reassured the concerned father.

"Aye" was all he replied before going over to his son and looking him for a moment then giving a small reassuring smile to Elsa who returned it. He then left the house to talk to Gobber about Hiccups new leg.

Gerda looked around the small house and noticed that she could do some cleaning to take her mind off the current situation and quite possibly talk to the Princess about Hiccup. The Princess looked tired and stressed beyond measure. "Right, Sergeant you and your Guards can go back to your posts, I will take care of the Princess here."

The Sergeant nodded his head and gave a hand signal to the other Guards who left the house, closing the door behind them.

Gerda took a rag out of her pocket and started to dust the shelves, taking note that it looked like the place hadn't been dusted in years. " _The place really does need a woman's touch_ " she thought as she noticed that the Princess was looking at her injured friend with a small frown on her face. "What is troubling you besides the obvious Ms. Elsa?" She asked quietly while having her back turned to the future queen.

Elsa looked up at her maid before looking back down at Hiccup who was quietly sleeping on her lap. "He…he called me a witch." She said softly before continuing, "he said that all his troubles happened to him after he met me: he being bullied, being hated and losing his leg were all because of me placing a curse on him for rejecting my proposal of courtship. I'm starting to think it is my entire fault" Elsa said to Gerda while carefully moving Hiccup off her, feeling disgusted at herself for holding someone so innocent.

Gerda sighed, turned around and looked at the Princess who was now sitting on the chair beside the bed hands folded on her lap, "Ms. Elsa I don't know why the gates were closed, why you don't come out of your bedroom, and why you don't speak to your sister anymore, but one thing I know for certain is that this boy loves you and want nothing but the best for you. Otherwise he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of making those gloves for you" Gerda said while gesturing to the leather gloves that Elsa was wearing.

"What he said today was out of shock of what happened to him and fears of what will happen to him, come tomorrow. I can guarantee once he wakes up and gets his bearings he will apologize for his behavior and beg for your forgiveness." Gerda said with confidence before going over to the corner to retrieve a broom to which she started to use on the floor near the entrance.

Elsa thought about what Gerda said to her and she quietly hoped that those actions would come true. She would hate to lose Hiccup out of his fear of her. This situation had to be remedied and soon. Moments later a knock was heard and the door opened to reveal Astrid.

Astrid came into the room and gave a small nod to Elsa, "I'm here to take over watch duty."

Elsa looked up, then rose to greet the female Viking.

"Of course, please watch him carefully tonight. He woke up for a few moments only to tumble out of the bed and hurt his leg. We gave him a shot of morphine to take the pain away, so he might wake up with a start. If he wakes in pain, call one of the Guards and he will get the doctor." Elsa explained to Astrid who took all the information in with wide eyes

"Do not worry, he is in good hands. I won't let anything bad happen to him." She replied giving a small smile of reassurance.

Elsa bowed then left with Gerda, she turned to the Guards who were positioned outside the front door and ordered a 'round the clock' watch for Hiccup. The rest of the Guards followed after her toward the Great Hall where Stoick was having dinner with Gobber and a few other high ranking Vikings. Stoick waved her over and asked about Hiccup. Elsa told him that Hiccup was alright and would be on his feet as soon as the prosthetic was complete. Exhausted she fixed herself a plate of food from the table and sat down at a deserted table, which soon filled up with the Vikings she saw from earlier in the week.

"So, how's Hiccup?" a large rounded male Viking asked her as he moved to sit a few feet to her left, the bench creaking as he sat down.

"Yeah, how is he?" Elsa heard a few other Vikings say as they each sat down near her with their respective meals

She took a good look at all four of them, there was one with large muscles, dark brown hair and a smug look on his face " _that must be Snotlout"._ Two that looked like they were twins, both had blonde hair and narrow chins, " _Ruffnut and Tuffnut._ " And the heavy set one that was sitting next to her with kind eyes, " _and he must be Fishlegs. Hmm, Hiccup was right Fishlegs does seem to be the nicer of the bunch."_ Elsa thought as she took in all the teen Vikings.

"Well?" Snotlout asked impatiently.

Elsa snapped back to reality "Oh, he is alright. He will make a full recovery and be walking by tomorrow, I hope." She said to the teens in a neutral tone, she didn't want to show too much emotion to people she just met.

"Oh, that is wonderful news. I hate to see Hiccup die especially after he saved us all from that massive dragon" Fishlegs said in a thankful voice.

"It is nice to hear you care about him, Mr. Ingerman." Elsa said in a gentle tone.

Fishlegs blushed at being recognized by a princess "Uh…uh thank you for recognizing me Princess Elsa, it is an honor." He stuttered out.

"Oh please, it is about time that Hiccup got knocked down a peg or two, he was hogging all the sunlight." Snotlout spoke in a snarky tone.

"And you must be Snotlout" Elsa said while giving him a pointed look.

"That's right babe" Snotlout said, then gave Elsa a flirtatious smirk while laying his hand down on top of Elsa's free hand that she was using to cut her food with.

Elsa gave a glare to the young Viking, but he didn't move his hand, he only winked at her. The sound of a sword being partly unsheathed and a heavy hand being put on his shoulder did catch his attention though. Snotlout turned his head to look at the tall Guard who had put his white gloved hand on his right shoulder, "Do not touch the Princess." The Guard said in a commanding voice.

It was then he had noticed that there were four Royal Guards surrounding not only Elsa but him as well. "Sorry, my bad" he said as he slowly retracted his hand and put it in his lap; fear evident in his voice.

The Guard took his hand off his shoulder and the sound of a sword being returned to its proper place broke up the dead silence, though the tall Guard did not move from his position behind Snotlout.

"Sorry about that, the Royal Guards are very protective of me" Elsa replied with a gentle smile, though the smile also hid an undertone of " _do not try that again, or you will lose your hand._ "

The twins looked at each other and smiled wickedly, "that was awesome! Can you make them hit Snotlout or use him as target practice?" Ruffnut asked in an excited voice.

"Surely not. Even though they have to do what I say, I will not abuse their loyalty to my country or to me." Elsa replied in a serious tone.

"Oh man, the one-time something amazing happens, we can't have fun with it." Tuffnut moaned in disappointment.

"May I ask you all a question?" Elsa asked looking at everyone.

"Yes. Yeah. Yup. Go ahead" was what she got in return.

Elsa looked at each Viking before asking a very serious question, "will you treat Hiccup better considering what happened a few weeks ago?"

Elsa was met with silence as she twirled her food around her plate; the air suddenly became thick and cold around the table. She didn't know if she caused that to happen or she was imagining the cold.

Each Viking looked down at their laps as if looking deep into their souls for the answer. Snotlout looked mad that such feelings were asked of him, while the Twins looked confused and Fishlegs had a small questioning look his face. Elsa noticed that look.

"With the exception of Mr. Ingerman, each of you needs to apologize for your behavior of the last ten years or so. Hiccup said in his letters and private conversations with me that you three including Ms. Hofferson tortured and mocked him relentlessly." She said as she gave them each a pointed look.

"Why am I not included?" Fishlegs asked confused.

Elsa turned and looked at the hefty young teen, "the reason you need not apologize is because Hiccup told me that you were the only one he ever considered a friend. Since, you did not treat him harshly in any way." Elsa gave a thankful smile to him, which made Fishlegs blush from the attention.

"Thank you your highness for the compliments." He then looked down and smiled to himself, " _Hiccup considered me a friend, he is the first person to do that. Perhaps I can do something nice for him later on_." Fishlegs thought of different things he could do for his now wounded friend.

Ruffnut spoke up for her and her brother, "Well I guess we can be nicer to him as long as it's not too much work, but what's in it for us?"

Elsa gave the twins a questioning look then thought for a moment, "I would think that if you would get back in Hiccups good graces that he would allow you to ride on and maybe even train the dragons. There is also the possibility that those dragons can be used for war if the need ever came."

The Twins frowns turned into wicked smiles at the thought of destroying something with their own fire breathing dragons. "That would be awesome!" Ruffnut nearly yelled "Wouldn't it? We have so much free time and space, we could do mock battles and target practices." Tuffnut said back to her brother. The two of them grabbed their chins and thought of ways to bring their dreams alive.

Elsa thought for a moment, " _was it really a good idea to give two pyromaniacs the possible means to create even more trouble or destruction. Well, as long as they don't come to Arendelle, we will be alright_. _I hope_."

Everyone turned their head towards Snotlout who looked defensive with his arms crossed in front of him. "What? If anything Hiccup needs to apologize to me, he took all the attention that should have been on me and I deserve to be chief not that useless runt." Snotlout said while giving a defiant look.

Elsa gave a deathly glare to the pretty boy and she failed to notice how her hands were twitching from her powers that were starting to edge closer to the breaking point.

" _How dare he say that about my Hiccup. Hiccup did not choose to be the next chief. And just because Hiccup stole some spotlight should not be an allowance for Snotlout to treat him like a piece of unwanted material_." Elsa thought for a moment, what could she do? She couldn't have him openly punished, which was a one-way trip to an embarrassing and revealing situation. " _Maybe I can have him endure a series of unlucky events, just enough to put him into his rightful place at Hiccups side and not a future trouble maker._ "

The other teenage Vikings just looked between Snotlout and the Princess waiting for one of them to make a move or say something, the tension could be felt not only by them but by the Guards as well. The Royal Guards looked at their Princess for any sign of hand or head movement to signal an order to move, attack, etc.

Elsa eyes snapped up to one of the Guards, then her head nodded slightly to her right.

The Guard nodded "yes, my Princess." He then gave a signal for the other Guards to follow him to the far side of the Hall away from the table.

"Mr. Jorgenson, while I disagree with your statement of how Hiccup brought your attacks upon himself and that he deserved them, I cannot outwardly have you punished. I don't have the power or the strength to do it myself. Though seeing that I might be coming to your island more and more in the future with me being Hiccup's future partner in all. I would suggest you tone down the rhetoric toward him, unless you wish to bring yourself unfortunate events." Elsa said to Snotlout in a diplomatic tone of voice but with a slight edge on the tip of it.

Tuffnut, Ruffnut and Fishlegs noticeably moved back a few inches from the two.

Snotlout on the other hand felt his lungs drop into his stomach and he forgot how to breathe for a moment. He could feel that this girl meant business and that he had to get far away from her, lest he be willing to lose his pride.

"Yeah. As if I would listen to a girl about how to treat _my_ little cousin." He said while laughing before swinging his legs to get off the bench and standup only to slip and fall on his face.

Elsa gave a ghost of a smile before she had the ice slowly retract from underneath the bench and go back to her feet. The other Vikings in the hall however roared in laughter at Snotlout and his rotten luck.

"What in the name of Odin! Where did this water come from?!" He yelled before walking out of the Great Hall, while nursing his bruised ego and shaking the water off his vest.

The gang was still laughing when they saw the Princess rise from the table. "Leaving so soon?"

Elsa looked at Ruffnut, "yes, today has been a long day and I need to rest. And do not forget about what I said about treating him better, you should also ask him for forgiveness." She said before walking out with her entourage of Guards following behind her.

"She's right you know. You should apologize to Hiccup for tormenting him for all those years. You should pass along the message to Astrid too." Fishlegs told the twins who looked uninterested.

"Huh, I'm sorry. I can't think about anything besides Snotlout face planting the floor" Tuffnut said while laughing.

"Uggh." Was all Fishlegs gave in reply as he brought his hand down his face in frustration.

* * *

As she walked down the massive steps in front of the Great Hall the sounds of laughter still evident in the air as other Vikings spread the news of what happened to Snotlout, Elsa on the other hand was scolding herself for such a callous move on her part. " _Not only did I technically threaten the cousin of the Chief, but I knowingly let my powers escape. That was too risky and need to make sure it doesn't happen again. On top of that I said that I would be Hiccups future partner as if I knew the future. I must be a good girl, be nice and diplomatic, and not let my powers slip out_." Elsa thought to herself as she walked back to cottage that she was using as her temporary home, " _I need a nap_ , _maybe that will take this pain away that is clouding my head."_

* * *

That nap turned into full blown sleep as she found out the next morning as the sun pelted her face with its rays of warmth. Shrugging the heavy blanket off her body she sat up and swung her legs over the edge letting them touch the cold wooden floor. Walking toward her robe that lay folded on a nearby bench, she looked out of a window to see the village waking up as Vikings swarmed the market for search of fresh fish and herbs. The grass still had fresh dew on its surface which glistened in the sunlight.

She put on her cashmere robe embroidered with the seal of Arendelle then went to put on her slippers to walk down the stairs to see what was for breakfast. As her foot made contact with the last of the stairs she saw Gerda making scrambled eggs and ham in a pan that hanged over the fire pit in the center of the room. "Good morning Princess Elsa, I hope you had a pleasant sleep."

Elsa moved over to the table that had been set already with linen, plates, silverware and a glass of water. "Yes, it was a pleasant sleep thank you for asking. Did I miss anything?" She asked her hand maiden.

Gerda looked over her shoulder for a moment then turned back to the simmering pan of food. "In regards to Mr. Hiccup, he did not wake up and I would believe is still sleeping soundly. His father came around this morning and told me that he expects his son to be on his feet and moving. I took this as an asking of you to teach him to walk with his prosthetic. His third in command, a Mr. Gobber attached his artificial foot to Hiccup's stump last night while he was sleeping." Gerda announced not taking her eyes off the breakfast for the young Princess.

"I see, thank you for telling me of this information. I just wonder if Hiccup will remember what transpired yesterday. If he will remember what he said to me." She said with a frown,

"that I do not know of your highness. It is in the hands of God now." She spoke as she brought over the pan and scraped the meal onto Elsa's plate. "Enough chit chat, eat up. We are expected in one hour."

Elsa nodded her head; Gerda had taken care of her when no one else could. When her father had the doors shut and sent the others away, she had stayed. When she reached adolescence, Gerda was promoted to handmaiden for Elsa. She looked up to her and talked to her when she was helping her into her dresses and baths. She had formed a small friendship with her hand maiden and hoped one day she could confide in her about her powers. " _Maybe one day, but not today._ " She thought, smiling at Gerda who was cleaning the pans in the small sink.

Elsa followed Gerda's advice and quickly consumed her meal, after getting up from the table she walked toward the back of the house where the water closet was located. She opened then closed the door behind her as she looked down at the hole in the ground, the stench making her nearly gag. If there one thing she hated about Berk was the lack of hygiene for the most basic things. She saw people drink un-boiled water, consume raw fish, defecate in holes in the ground and apparently no one ever heard of the word 'soap' before.

" _The next time I come here, I will bring a cargo hold full of soap and lavender seeds. That way I can make these awful_ _places_ _smell better."_ She did however notice that a bench with a hole cut out in the middle was placed over the pit. A small fissure connecting the pit to the outside where it would probably run down the hill was recently dug, that way with a bucket of water the excrement could be washed away.

As she hiked up her robe and pulled down her drawers she refused to sit down on the bench, instead choosing to hover over the hole. She nearly crossed her eyes in tranquility when she felt the releasing of her bladder, she had been holding in that liquid for over half a day. After hearing the last drop impact the soil she grabbed some wool that was placed in a bucket near the hole, she wiped herself with said material. After pulling up her undergarments and letting down her robe she left that awful smelling room to go upstairs to change. Once Gerda had helped tighten her corset and dress, she put on her cape and boots, letting the former skim a little on the floor to show her status to the village as a royal. She didn't like boasting her status or that she was better than anyone person, but she had to keep up appearances for nobility sake.

She exited the cottage and was immediately flanked by her Guards and Gerda, who gave her a book to read and walked by her side to the porch area. She settled down into a chair and told her to yell is she needed her assistance, Elsa nodded then opened the door and to see Hiccup already awake and looking at his foot with a frown. By the night stand was the opened letter her father had given to her. She then remembered asking Gerda to give it to him last night, she was afraid to go back to the house in case he was still angry. He then looked at her and turned his head away in shame. "Hello Elsa." Hiccup said shyly.

"So you remember last afternoon?" She asked with a frown, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, and I wish to apologize for my behavior, you did not deserve to be called that. I…I am so sorry, Elsa. Please forgive me; I will do whatever it takes to repair our friendship." Hiccup said with a pleading look in his eyes.

Elsa moved over to the seat that she had used for the previous day's watch, "Hiccup it is nothing to be embarrassed over, you lost control that's all. While the words you had used was a little hurtful, I will not use it against you in anyway. Thus your apology is not needed, let us move on from that event for today I am to teach you how to walk with your new foot." Elsa said with confidence, a smile coming to her face.

"Walk? I know how to walk, Elsa." He said while swinging his legs over the side of the bed and placing his feet on the floor then standing up. "Hiccup, I don't think you know how to bal…" She tried to say before she was cut off with Hiccup falling on top of her pushing her to the ground with a mild gasp coming out of her mouth as the air was knocked out of her lungs.

Timed seemed to stand still as Hiccup looked down and Elsa looked up, their eyes wide and dared not blink or move. Slow breaths escaped their mouths and blushes came to their cheeks, Hiccup was effectively on top of Elsa with her legs cradling his hips in-between her. They were both in a compromising position with Hiccups hands on either side of her body and their chests pressed together, their mouths mere inches apart.

" _I hope to God, no one heard that and decides to investigate."_ Elsa thought then breathed in through her nose " _is that peppermint? He smells nice. I could get used to this in the future."_ She shook her head of the last thought, maybe later. "Hiccup, could you move, you are squishing me."

Hiccup couldn't move he was drawn to Elsa and wanted to stay like this for as long as possible. " _She smells so good; she smells of lavender and feels amazing underneath me. Wow, calm down Hiccup, you're not even in a relationship with her and you're already thinking of what comes later in the courting. Maybe I can…_ Hiccup? _"_ he thought before he heard another 'Hiccup?'

"Hmm, what?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"Could you move, please?"

It was then he realized the severity of his position atop of her, "Oh, I am so sorry" he rolled off her and stood up shakily, moving to sit down on the bed as Elsa rolled over and pushed herself up to a standing position. "It is alright Hiccup, now let us try to get you walking properly again shall we?" Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Now, give me your hands and I will guide you around the room. I will not let you fall again, trust me." She said as she held out her hands for Hiccup to grab ahold of.

"I have always trusted you Elsa; you need not worry about that." Hiccup smiled while giving her his hands and standing up, nearly falling over, before Elsa tugged on his hand to balance him better.

After hours of balancing, walking and motivational talks Elsa believed he was ready to take a break. Hiccup let out a pent up breath as he lay back down on the bed moving his body underneath the blanket. Sweat dotted his face and his cheeks were flushed, he moved a bit to allow Elsa space to sit down next to him. A gesture which she accepted.

"So, I heard you gave Astrid a romantic flight on your dragon. I believe Toothless is his name?" Elsa quipped as she nestled against Hiccups side.

Hiccup blushed at the being next to Elsa; she saw this and thought he was thinking about Astrid,

"do you like her Hiccup?" Elsa was now looking straight at him, waiting for an answer.

Hiccup looked away for a moment to collect his thoughts, "Well, I wouldn't call it a romantic flight necessarily. The first half was flying through the clouds at sunset and the second half was flying through a dormant volcano with a massive dragon trying to eat us." He said while turning to look at Elsa, she had an alarmed look on her face. "Don't ask" he said while waving his hands.

"And yes his name is Toothless, he is a Night Fury who saved my life a few times and showed me things that amazed me into believing that humans and dragons can coexist." He then scooted back to rest against the headboard.

"Okay and the second question?" She asked then started to chew on the inside of her cheek nervously.

Hiccup twiddled his thumbs and spoke from his heart. "About Astrid, I think she is a beautiful girl with everything going for her, and I think she has a crush on me, but a part of me thinks it is just because I am a hero now. Before any of this, she wouldn't even acknowledge my existence and didn't stand up for me in anyway." He said while looking down at the small hill in the covers that marked his new foot

Elsa let out a small breath and a small smile came to her face, "And what about you and me? Could we ever be together?" She asked with a small bit of hesitation.

A full blown blush spread across Hiccups face as he scooted away from her.

"Elsa, I just don't know why you would want me of all people. I mean, you are beautiful and I am a runt. I am not handsome or anything special, in most regards you are perfect and I now have this thing." Hiccup said motioning to his new foot, Elsa saw his shoulders go down as if he deflated.

"Hiccup, look at me." Elsa said as she touched his chin. Hiccup looked up and at her face; her piercing gaze sent a shiver down his spine.

"You are one of only a few people that have ever been kind to me out of free will, most of the servants and guards have to be nice since I am a princess. Whereas you do it because you want to make me happy and I am so appreciative of that. Whenever you spend time with me or give me a present a rush of warmth envelops my body and that make me feel loved and cared for. I personally do not want to imagine my life without you. I would like to be more than just your friend, but if you truly believe you are not good enough for me, then I will not force myself upon you." Elsa said as she took her hand and put it on his shoulder.

"And as for being worthy, you demonstrated that you are capable of being more than just a _runt_. You are more than ready to be a leader, just look at how you took command of the situation with the 'Red Death'. You rallied your fellow Vikings and convinced them to put down their weapons and ride the dragons as allies and not as enemy's. Then you without a moment of hesitation attacked the massive dragon not for yourself but for your village, for people that didn't care about you before that day. You were willing to possibly lay down your life for your fellow Viking, for your friends and especially your father." She said as she gripped his shoulder then slowly brought her gloved hands down to his taking a hold of one. Taking in a massive breath and releasing it she continued.

"And before you say that you don't have the traits to be a leader or a worthy suitor, you do have some of them. You have initiative, energy, and especially perseverance. I have heard about and seen your workshop, that room shows that you are willing to pursue your goals, work long hours, and are ambitious enough to try again and again till you get it right. The Hiccup I have seen in my room and in the library back in Arendelle has great intelligence, analytical and verbal ability, behavioral flexibility, and good judgment to know when to do something or when to rethink your plans. If those are not traits of a leader, then I do not know what makes up a true leader."

Hiccups eyes grew wide as his brain registered that all the things that he had done were of leadership level and not of a _useless runt_. A blush was spreading across his face as he realized that his hand was not in his lap but Elsa's.

"As for the whole suitor thing. You, Hiccup are the only man who has ever expressed interest in me and given me something made by your own hand instead of something made by someone else's." She said while gripping his hand off and on, " _mostly because you are the only person that my parents let me see; literally I have not even talked to another boy in my entire life. This is the first time I have talked to other people beside Gerda, the servants, the guards and of course my parents. Poor Anna, she must hate me by now; as to why she hasn't knocked on my door asking me to build a snowman with her, but I must distance myself from her, to protect her. I love her and hopefully I will show her that I still care one day. But not until I know I can't hurt her with my powers, until then Hiccup has my attention."_ Elsa thought for a moment.

She then noticed that Hiccup was staring at her with a weird look etched on his face, "what?" she asked him.

"Sorry, you were staring at the wall for about two minutes; it looked like you were having a conversation in your mind" Hiccup responded with a small smile.

"Oh. Sorry about losing track of my mind. Back to our discussion, you Hiccup possess everything a woman wants in a suitor. You are kind, considerate, you listen to me, you respect me and my family, you make me feel beautiful and you make me want to better myself. I could go on, but I digress. Though personally I feel that you will make a wonderful suitor and Chief one day, instead of being power hungry like most leaders, you will focus on bettering your tribe with your inventions and guidance. That is a man I want by my side from now till the end of time, in this life and the next."

As she finished speaking her case, she noticed Hiccup crying silently, tears streaming down his face. "Hiccup what is wrong?"

Hiccup looked up after sniffing back some tears to look Elsa in the eyes, giving her a heartfelt smile. "Sorry, no one has ever talked so kindly about me, not even my father."

Once she heard that she wrapped her arms around his small body and pressed herself to him, resting her chin on his head for she was nearly half a head taller than him at the moment.

Hiccup rested his chin on Elsa's shoulder, closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of lavender which calmed him immensely " _So this is what it is like to be loved_ " Hiccup thought.

"Hiccup?" Elsa asked Hiccup, "Hmm?" he responded not wanting to break the embrace.

"Can I trust you with something important?"

"Of course Elsa, I won't tell a soul."

"I…I am not perfect by any means. I have hidden a secret from you, a most terrible secret, and one which could destroy me if not handled correctly." She spoke in a whisper.

Hiccup pulled back from the embrace, a scared look written on his face, "what is it?"

"You know when you called me a witch?" She asked the young man holding onto her hands as if he was holding on for dear life. " _He's scared._ "

"Yes" was all he managed to reply.

"You are not technically wrong in the magical sense. I have… I have ice powers." She managed to get out finally gathering the courage.

Dead silence descended on the two young royals. Elsa was chewing on the inside of her cheek, while Hiccups face was etched with a confused and surprised look. Elsa could see that the gears in his mind were turning, trying to make sense of what she just said

"Umm, what?" was all he could get out before continuing, "ice powers, surely you jest?"

"It is the truth Hiccup and I will show you." She said before getting up and taking off her gloves, she stood about three paces from the bed and breathed in and out slowly. Bringing her hands up to shoulder height, but extended out toward the corner of the room. Hiccup could feel the temperature in the room drop a few degrees suddenly, but what really surprised him was that there was a ball of ice hovering in Elsa's palm. She then threw the ice at the corner of the room, to which it turned into a small snowman. Elsa turned around and tossed Hiccup a snowball that appeared out of thin air, too stunned to catch the snowball; it hit him square in the face.

"Oh, sorry Hiccup. I thought you were going to catch it." She said earnestly moving to wipe the snow off her friend's face with a nearby towel. As she wiped the last of the cold water off her Hiccups face two questions came to mind. "So, can I trust you with this secret and do you still want to be my friend?"

Hiccup did not speak for several minutes which seemed like eternity for the young princess.

Finally, Hiccup gathered the courage to speak, licking his lips and clearing his throat the words soon spilled out of his mouth and into Elsa's waiting ears.

"Elsa you are by far one of the most important people in my life, if not the most important. You have shown me so many things that no other Viking in history has or will ever see. From a library that shows great lands and people to stories of engineering that crossed rivers and conquered armies with ease. The books in your library alone hold more knowledge than I will ever hope to learn." Taking a small breath, he continued. "Your family has taken care of me, provided food, shelter, warmth and love. We may have hit a few low points in our friendship, but there is no way I will ever betray your trust. Of course we will stay friends and of course I will keep this a secret from whomever you want. However, I ask that you let me think for a few hours about starting in a possible courtship with you. If you don't mind waiting that is." Hiccup said with slight hesitation.

"Hiccup I have waited for over five years, I think I can wait a few more hours." Elsa finished then smiled and kissed his right cheek. "I will wait outside and will tell your father that you are sleeping and can move under your own power." The young princess said as she put her gloves back on and slipped quietly out the front door, a small thump was all that was heard that signaled the door was closed and he was alone again.

"Wow, so much information to learn in less time it would take to milk a yak. I need to rest my head and make my decision when I awaken." Slowly Hiccup laid back down on the wooden bed, his head resting on the thin pillow and his eyes closing. Slowly he let his mind drift off into nothingness as sleep took ahold of him. A lingering question floated in his brain as he walked in the land of unconsciousness, " _if I get together with Elsa, how will Astrid take it, since I spend more time on Berk instead of Arendelle? Will she try and make a move against my wishes? Can we truly be together even when we live so far away from one another?"_

He hoped that Astrid would respect his choice, but the fact that no Viking woman took defeat with open arms nagged him relentlessly to the point that he knew this decision would haunt him for years to come.

A cool burst of wind hit his face, and then he heard a soft growl followed by a soft whine. Slowly Hiccup opened his eyes to see a giant black dragon, Toothless. He smiled at seeing his friend still alive and well.

"Hey Toothless" Hiccup said as the dragon pushed his face into his cheek in an upward motion before retracting and doing it again.

"Happy to see you too bud" he followed with before grabbing his friend's face who was upping the ante with use of his tongue.

"Owwwww" he yelled out from the fact that his dragon had accidently stepped on his groin with his massive paw. Hiccup lunged forward to protect his nether region crossing his arms in front of his waist. It was then he realized that his dragon was in fact in his house, this was possibly the first time a live dragon was roaming free in a Viking house.

"Umm you're in my house. Does my dad know you're here?" He called out once again.

Toothless hopped up to him and tried to nuzzle his friend with his face before recanting when he saw Hiccup's hands move up as if trying to say stop. Instead he turned around and bounced near the fire pit knocking over some pots and pans before finally leaping onto a supporting column. Toothless stopped what he was doing when he heard his name being called.

"Toothless!" Hiccup said trying to calm down his dragon; at this rate Toothless would destroy his greeting area before his father would come in, seeing Toothless on the supporting beam he huffed in frustration.

"Oh come on…" He managed to get out before hearing a squeak.

Hiccup stopped and lifted up the blanket revealing a prosthetic foot. " _So it wasn't a dream after all_." He thought while frowning, even Toothless calmed down after seeing his friend's attitude change. Toothless heard a squeak and went to investigate; he dropped down onto the floor and went over to his human before sniffing the metal object where a paw should have been. He slowly brought his head up to where his friends face was before looking at him.

Hiccup let out a few deep breaths before moving to stand up and try and walk unassisted. " _Okay Hiccup you can do this._ "

He sat up straight and put weight onto his right foot before moving to stand. He leaned heavily against the foot rest at the end of the bed then took a small tentative step forward with his left foot. " _Ha I did it, now to just continue like this and not fall down_ " Hiccup thought before walking another step, but he leaned a little too far to the left and ended up falling forward " _Oh no!"_ Thankfully Toothless caught him before he did a face plant on the floor.

Toothless saw his friend falling forward too quickly so he lunged forward to stop him from hurting himself again. He heard a mumble of words in a thankful tone and replied back with his own thankful growl. Toothless allowed his human to lean on him while walking slowly to the door that led outside.

As Hiccup opened the door a monstrous nightmare roared overhead, he immediately closed the door. Waiting a few seconds, he then told Toothless to wait inside while he investigated the activity outside. He pulled open the massive door to reveal a Berk full of Dragons and Vikings living together without violence. "Wait? What? I knew it I'm dead" he told himself unable to believe what was taking place in front of his eyes.

A hearty laughter was heard then a massive hand landed on his shoulder, "No, but you gave it yer best shot. So what do ye think?" his father asked as he pointed to the construction of the dragon pens. He could see Royal Guards standing near his house and a few other houses down the hill, he then looked over to see other Vikings shout with exuberance that he was awake and alive. They even ran up to his location making a circle around him, they all had smiles and looked thankful for being alive.

"Turns out all we needed was a little of…this," his father said as he gestured to all of him

"You just gestured to all of me" Hiccup responded in an amazed tone, his father smiled and nodded his head in return.

He then saw Gobber push his way through the throng of Vikings "Well most of ye, that bit is me handiwork, with a little 'Hiccup' flair thrown in. Ye think it will do?" he asked pointing to his metal leg.

Hiccup rotated out his foot to inspect said handiwork, "eh, I might make a few tweaks" he said then felt pain in his right shoulder. He was knocked off his balance and was amazed that he didn't topple over. He heard Astrid's voice "That's for scaring me."

" _That's it; I can't take any more violence from this woman_. _Where is Elsa_?" he thought and looked out at the crowd, it was then he saw her slowly making her way through the crowd. He walked forward to meet her, a smile coming to his face as she saw him. She returned the smile with one of her own, she saw him move forward but then tripped on a bent up stone. She instantly caught him and moved to be at his side allowing him to use her shoulder to hang onto.

"You alright?" she asked with genuine concern

" _Now, this is what I always wanted a person who genuinely cares about me. I want Elsa to be my partner_." Hiccup thought and gave a relaxed smile, "yes, thank you." He said then took ahold of her hand and intertwined his fingers with her gloved ones.

Elsa gave a surprised look at the boldness of his actions in front of everyone no less. "Does that answer your question Elsa?" she heard Hiccup ask before giving her a soft smile.

"Yes" she whispered back before moving forward and rewarding his bravery with a kiss on his lips. Instantly she heard 'gasps, ohhs' and 'ahhs' resonate from the crowd around her, but she paid no mind to them. She pulled back when she saw Gobber approach.

Hiccup turned and was immediately handed what appeared to be a new tail for Toothless. "Welcome home" Gobber announced with a smile.

"Night Fury!" he heard a Viking call out.

Toothless came up from behind and trounced on a few Vikings knocking them out of the way, he wanted to be included in the happiness too.

Elsa laughed for the first time in what felt like ever when she saw Toothless harmlessly knock over a few Vikings and saw the exchange between him and Hiccup. " _Those two will make quite the team together_." She thought then saw Hiccup move to attach the new contraption to Toothless' tail.

Hiccup mounted Toothless and saw how his prosthetic locked into place, moving it forward and back to see how the movements changed the positions of the tail. " _Amazing, Gobber did some great work. I guess I still have some things to learn from the master blacksmith_."

"You ready?" he asked Toothless. Receiving a playful grunt in return he looked forward to see the entire village working together with once was their enemies. "Beautiful" he whispered, he then looked to his left to see Elsa calmly looking at him a smile on her face.

"Don't worry. I will be here when you come back, go on, you deserve this." He heard Elsa say with a smile, she folded her hands in front of her and watched as she walked toward his father. He looked back to see Astrid giving him a small glare. " _Ooh, that's right. I rejected her, oh well she rejected me for the last fifteen years. I made my decision and can't go back on my feelings; I want to be with someone who actually wants to be with me for me. I must move forward and never go back."_

Hiccup moved his foot triggering Toothless' tail to move into the take-off position; Toothless saw this and jumped into the air.

Soon Hiccup was joined by all his new companions on their respective dragons; they flew down the hill past the docks under a bridge and finally spun into the clouds. " _Freedom_ " he thought happily, tears coming down his face.

* * *

Elsa made her way over to Stoick as she saw her beau fly into the clouds, she smiled at this, " _he deserves to be happy, even if it does scare me a little, but I must have faith that he will come back uninjured_."

She saw Stoick stop talking to Gobber who wandered off to his shop and turned around to acknowledge her presence. "I am so proud to see ye two together. Ye two of all people deserve happiness, especially with what has happened. With Hiccup losing his foot and you losing your sister basically." The last part he said in a hushed voice.

Elsa's eyes widened at the fact that he knew her secret; "you know?" She whispered back.

"Aye, yer father told me years ago. It is good to know that you can control your powers without the fear of harming others. I understand and respect yer decision to tell Hiccup about yer powers. You will make a fine queen someday, Elsa." He spoke with unabridged confidence.

Elsa blushed a little at the confidence he had in her and also the fact that her father had lied to Stoick about the extent of her ability of control her powers. She could control her powers to some extent but was still afraid about using them around people.

"Well, if you will excuse me I wish to go down the hill and watch Hiccup fly around." Elsa stated; pushing down the lingering thoughts of telling Stoick the truth concerning her control over her abilities.

"Your excused Princess Elsa, and try the cliffs. It gives great views of what you are seeking."

Elsa bowed her head while giving a curtsey; she then walked down the hill followed closely by her guards.

As she slowly made her way down the hill several thoughts ran through her head. " _How many more days should I stay? Am I allowed to boast that Hiccup is mine now? And what are the rules and boundaries of our courtship_?"

Elsa finally made it down to the cliffs and leaned against a boulder watching Hiccup and his friends fly around in the clouds. After an hour she saw Hiccup glide down to her position landing just a few meters away.

"Miss me?" Elsa asked with a grin.

"Of course, your face is much prettier than Toothless'" Hiccup replied back chuckling.

Toothless gave a snort in response to the comment knowing they were talking about him.

Hiccup climbed down off of Toothless and walked over to Elsa, though something was different with his facial expression from walking over from his dragon to the boulder. He had a sort of frown mixed with a needing to know look etched on his face.

"Hiccup what is wrong?" Elsa asked pushing off the boulder and standing up straight.

Hiccup scratched the back of his head and kicked some dirt around before looking at Elsa's face fully, "Elsa we need to talk."

* * *

 **Authors Notes:** What did you think of that? I swear these chapters keep getting longer and longer. By the way I got my old shift back and will have Saturdays off for now on. So expect chapters to be released in the afternoon instead of the evening. And the bit about Hiccup freaking out from losing his leg is justified because if any of us woke up with an appendage we would surely flip out. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.


	9. No More Secrets

**Authors Notes:** Once again thank you all for those of you who have favorited, left a review or added this story to their alerts. Now this chapter is shorter than the previous one because there is no major action scenes in it, there is mostly just talk, fluff and character development. Chapter ten though will be long.

There is something that I must ask for those of you who will leave a review and that is that the review be kept clean. No profanity, harsh language or attacking another reviewer for their view of my story. I will not let the review section become a battleground between reviewers. You might be wondering where all this is coming from? A guest reviewer named Moghulis left a review for chapter 7 that criticized my work, then Kilo 8 left one praising my work and attacked Moghulis. When chapter eight rolled around Moghulis had written another review attacking Kilo8 and was filled with profanity. Now all guest reviews have to be approved by the author before they can appear in the review section. Once I read it and thought about it, I deleted the review on the grounds of having too much profanity and for attacking another reviewer. Now you might be thinking that it was Kilo8 who initiated the attack, why is his review still up? And your right; though Kilo8 has apologized for his actions and I have accepted his apology. Now an account holders review can not be taken down by neither him nor me, so it is staying up there simply because I have no way of taking it down. So in review I must **ask** that for those of you who want to leave a review that it be kept clean, no harsh language and no attacking another's review because of their view of my story. I believe that we are all educated enough to be able to write a review without profanity or attacks.

I wish to give a shout out to the following reviewers: Eragonfan33, TheWritingFactory, octaviangradius, oca3553, Guest(s), supersandman86, fantasylover4evr, RandomReader7 as always, Red Star, and Noctus Fury. Thank you for your continued support and advisement of my story.

You will be all happy to know there is no toilet scenes in this chapter.

And the unofficial song for _An Arranged Life_ is " _Faithfully"_ by Journey. Go and listen to it if you like.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

Chapter 9

 _No More Secrets_

"What do we need to talk about, Hiccup?" Elsa replied back hesitantly, her arms folding on top of the other in front of her chest.

"Walk with me" Hiccup said as he held out his hand for her to intertwine with his.

Elsa took his extended hand into hers and the two walked together with Hiccup leading and a pair of guards following a few meters behind, wanting to give the couple some space.

The couple went up a flight of wooden stairs, across the bridge that connected the front of the island to the back of the island and into the massive forest where Hiccup shot Toothless down into. Soon they went past an old trench, broken trees and limbs that now had moss growing over them. There was a small entrance to what appeared to be a cove, bordered by rocks on either side and a tree limb above prevented multiple people from entering at once. The group entered single file with the guards staying behind to protect the entrance and exit. Toothless jumped over the tree limb and climbed down the walls of the cove jumping joyfully into the small pond.

As Elsa looked around she saw a massive tree with its roots covering the far wall of the cove, there was a small pond with fish, and large boulders dotted the floor of the landscape, the walls must have been at least twenty meters high.

"Ready Elsa? It is tricky getting down into the cove." She heard Hiccup say as he pointed to the path. She nodded her head and held onto his hand as they descended the tall boulders, jumping from one to the next while descending.

"And here we are. Welcome to my semi-secret cove; this is where I and Toothless gained each other's trust and friendship. The walls are steep enough that Toothless cannot easily get out, though he can if sufficiently motivated. We practiced to fly in here and around the forest." He said while extending his arms out as if he was trying to sell it.

"Semi-secret cove? Why is it not a full secret?" She asked her beau.

Hiccup smiled and guided Elsa to a small boulder where he sat down upon and motioned for her to join him. She accepted the invitation and watched as Toothless swim out of the pond. He then moved onto the land, released a stream of fire on the ground to which he stomped out and then went to sleep in the smoldering embers.

"Well only you, your guards, and Astrid know where this place is. Though once she tells everyone where this place is, I guess it won't even be semi-secret anymore. Not that it needs to be, now that dragons are welcome."

Elsa frowned at the thought of Astrid knowing where this secret slightly romantic cove was located, though it did not matter for Hiccup was now hers. "Hiccup what did you want to talk about?" she remembered the reason why they came down here.

Hiccup gulped to get some moisture to his suddenly dry throat and took in a deep breath then finally faced Elsa. "Elsa, do you promise to be truthful with me? While I was flying I had some time to think about some things and a few of them didn't match up correctly. I need the truth if we are going to be together." Hiccup said while looking into her eyes.

Elsa was nervous, what questions did he have? Would she be able to answer them all? She hoped she had the strength to carry on through his questioning.

"Yes Hiccup, I promise to be truthful for you." She said with a brave face and simulated confidence.

"Elsa why… why haven't you talked to or played with Anna in over six years?" Hiccup asked in a serious tone.

Elsa felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach and for a moment she forgot how to breathe or think.

"I…I" Elsa became quiet for a few moments, she rubbed her lips against each other thinking.

"Elsa, don't shut me out. You promised you would speak the truth, now tell me why you haven't talked to Anna." He said moving his hand into hers.

Elsa gripped his hand and leaned against the rock. "Hiccup, when I was eight years old there was an accident involving me and my sister. Anna knew about my powers ever since the beginning, that being after the forest incident. She loved the idea of me having ice powers, we would often play together making hills of snow to climb up and slide down, we also made snowmen and had snowball fights in the ballroom when it was too cold to go out. One night…" She took a breath. "One night while we were playing I created snow boulders for her to jump on, she got ahead of me and in my haste I slipped. I tried to save her from falling but I hit her in the head with my ice powers accidently which caused a silver streak to grace part of her hair. She fell asleep and wouldn't wake up. I called out to my parents and we took her to see a wise old troll who could help us."

Hiccup looked amazed, "a troll? Was that where you tried to take me that one day?"

"Yes, Pabbie was able to stabilize Anna's condition since it had only affected the head, not the heart, which would have been fatal. To be safe, Pabbie then removed Anna's knowledge and memories of my magic, much to my despair. He then explained the true strength of my abilities, there is beauty and danger in my powers. I can create and destroy. He told me that I must learn to control my powers at all cost, or fear will be my enemy. And it has, whenever you weren't at Arendelle, fear consumed my life. I stay in my room and never go outside or talk to Anna fearing that I could hurt her by accident. This is actually the first time in many years that I have gone outside the castle walls, all for you." Elsa said, a small smile coming to her face before it disappeared at the thought of Anna.

"Have you been able to control your powers better so you can one day talk to your sister in the future?" He asked as the silence got to him.

"Kind of, I mean I am here and not causing trouble. My powers have not leaked out, mostly. I can control my powers around you, my parents, the guards, Gerda and Kai. But I am afraid to try them around the people of Arendelle and Anna. It's just too dangerous to even attempt. Personally I have given up and just accepted my fate of never talking to Anna again."

Hiccup looked at Elsa; this was a new side of her that he had never seen before. All the confidence he thought she had was a lie. She was as scared as him was when it came to what others thought of him.

"You don't understand how hard it is Hiccup. Every time Anna comes to my door asking if she wants to build a snowman, it breaks my heart." Elsa said as she finally broke down at the thought of inadvertently hurting her sister, she promised that she would not hurt her but in the end she did it emotionally and mentally.

Hiccup wrapped an arm around Elsa as she cried softly; he directed her head into the crook of his neck. They slid down the boulder till they were sitting against it; their backs flush against the rock.

"It's okay Elsa, I understand now. And as long as we are together, you will never be alone. You have to believe that. Elsa I will never leave you, so as long as you want me I will stay by your side till kingdom come." He said while using his hand to make her look at him, he wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. She nodded her head at this promise and smiled.

There was silence between them as they looked at each other waiting for one of them to make a move, Hiccup slowly inched his head forward before capturing her lips with his. Elsa heart nearly burst from the amount of emotion that Hiccup poured into the kiss, her eyes fluttered closed and she kissed back with all she had.

After nearly a minute the two separated their faces flushed red from the lack of air.

Elsa smiled first followed by Hiccup when he saw her smiling; he let out a small chuckle at the thought of himself being nervous around her. "Well, do you want to continue our discussion or do you want to head in?" he asked Elsa.

Elsa looked up to see that the sun was setting

"Hmm, I think I want to stay awhile. This seems nice to get everything out in the open." She said while leaning her head against his small boney shoulder, " _I hope he grows out more otherwise he will be a midget compared to me."_ Elsa thought as she looked up a Hiccups face.

"Okay, then I will start a fire and get some food for us. Stay right here." He said while sadly breaking the hold they had on each other, he got up and started collecting some twigs, dried bark and branches, then putting them into a small hole he had dug previously when he had stayed there weeks before. He took out his flint and a piece of steel and with that he was able to make a spark thus creating a nice sized fire some minutes later.

"Hey Toothless can you catch some fish for us or do I need to do that for you?" He called out to his dragon with a laugh, not taking his eyes off the fire.

Toothless who had been keeping an eye on the couple narrowed his eyes and took up the challenge not wanting to lose his bravado in front of his human friend. Toothless snaked into the water diving underneath its surface only to pop out moments later and spit up five nice sized trout. "Thanks buddy" Hiccup picked up the trout and took to the task of descaling them and preparing them to put on the spit that hanged over the fire. After ten or so minutes he finally had the fish slowly grilling over the fire.

Elsa watched as her beau took upon making a fire and dinner, she was amazed that he was able to do everything so easily without even thinking about what to do next. She doubted she would be able to do any of that, perhaps she could ask her parents if she could take cooking lessons in the kitchen at night. She knew it was no place for a royal to be, those rooms were for the servants, maid, cooks and butlers. But she wanted to occupy herself with actions that couldn't hurt others, and maybe cooking was one of those actions. Elsa then saw him move to sit down next to her and rewrap his arm around her, she instantly snuggled into his embrace.

"So are you ready to continue?" She heard him ask.

"Yes, ask away." She said as she looked into the flames of the fire, a thought of Anna rushed to her mind. The color red always reminded her of Anna, whether it be because of her hair or her personality that being she always having energy to knock on her door every week.

A smile came to his face at the thought of Elsa's confidence growing from that one kiss.

"I think I understand why you didn't tell me the truth about your powers because you didn't know if you could trust me or not, but the thought of your family being happy and contented is a lie too." Elsa looked confused, "let me explain, when I arrived in Arendelle and I saw your family I saw four people that appeared to love each other and have dinners together to strengthen that love. But now I know it was an illusion, your family wasn't happy it was broken. I bet the only time Anna ever saw or spoke to you was whenever I came over, am I correct?" He asked while looking up to her face.

Elsa's mouth formed into a grimace at the thought of Hiccup learning that her family was indeed broken and possibly could never be fixed fully.

"Yes" he heard Elsa whispered out.

"Now, I can't give instructions on how to fix something like a broken family because I don't know how to repair something that is living, breathing and has emotions. It took so long just to figure out myself and be happy with what I have and what I am." He replied softly thinking back of all the life changing events he went through; from losing his mother to being bullied, threatened and losing his leg, then gaining the respect of his father, his people and gaining Elsa as a partner. What an eventful couple of years.

Hiccup took her gloved hand into his and slowly yet delicately plucked the glove off her hand. He then started to massage her knuckles with his thumb, rolling over each knuckle and drawing circles with said thumb causing Elsa to relax immensely.

"But I can only say that do try and fix your relationship with your sister at the very least, she deserves an answer but more importantly she deserves her sister back. When I talked to her she admitted that she was saddened at the loss of you, she believes that she drove you away and that you despise her enough to never talk to her again." He uttered then saw Elsa's eyes widened from the realization of the effects that her isolation had on her sister.

"But… but I did it to protect her, as long as I can't control my powers she is at risk. Every time I go to her door and try to knock but before I can the floor freezes and I run away fearing that I will possibly freeze her again." Elsa insisted in a rush, pleading her case to Hiccup as if she was being judged.

"I understand Elsa, but Anna doesn't. She believes you hate her." Elsa looked down at her lap, "but I don't hate her."

As Elsa was looking down, Hiccup was looking up at the stars. A beautiful night had descended upon them. The sounds of the fire popping, the insects chirping and Toothless snoring filled the night air. The temperature was cool but with the fire they stayed warm; this felt wonderful sitting with someone who cared so deeply for you and wanted nothing in return but to know you were happy with them.

"I know that Elsa, which brings me to my next question… actually the trout, is done." He replied before leaning forward and carefully retrieving two of the fish, handing one to her and the other he laid down on the rock. "Now be careful it's hot."

Elsa carefully took the trout, her gloves allowing her not to be burnt from the blazed fish. " _Well this is interesting my gloves are good for preventing freezes and burns_ , _how ironic. Well Hiccup did make them in a forge, so maybe he thought they would be used for everything._ " She thought and flexed her hand.

She looked at Hiccup and saw that he was nervous about his cooking; she calmly took a bite and chewed then swallowed. A smile came to her face, "it's good Hiccup, this is actually better than what those master chefs make at the castle" she replied before taking another bite. This was fun eating with her hands for once, no silverware or proper manners needed.

Hiccup blushed at the compliment, the idea of exceeding master chef level made him smile.

"Now if you wait here, I will give the other three pieces to the guards and Toothless." He said while pointing to the still roasting trout.

Elsa nodded her head too occupied with eating her fish to listen properly.

Hiccup once again carefully took the three fishes from the spit before calling out to his dragon while throwing one of the fish into the air. Toothless caught said fish with ease before going back to sleep. He carefully climbed up the boulders near the entrance to the cove, "Umm, Guards?" he called out nervously, it had been a while since he had talked to the Royal Guards. The last time was when he made gifts for Anna, Elsa, Idun and Agdar; and had to have a Guard escort him to the leather crafter.

One of the Guards appeared out of the darkness and looked down at him, "What is it Mister Hiccup, is something wrong?" The Guard asked in an alert tone of voice.

"Nothing is wrong, I just brought some dinner for you and the other Guard."

The old Guard looked quizzically at the young man, amazed that he went out of his way to provide food for someone he didn't know.

"Oh, thank you kind sir. How much longer will you two be out here?" He asked while taking the fish from Hiccups extended hands then giving one of the fish to his fellow guard.

"I think for another hour or two, we have more talking to do." Hiccup nodded then moved to go back into the cove but the Guard stopped him. "What is it?" Hiccup asked still nervous.

"By the way my name is Karl and this is Rikard." The old Guard said while motioning to his younger comrade who put up his hand as if saying 'hello'.

Hiccup nodded his head at Karl and Rikard in respect. "Now you go on and get back to the princess, we will stand by here in case you need anything." Hiccup nodded his head once more before moving back down into the cove.

Karl watched as the future chief of Berk climbed down the rocks and walked over to princess Elsa. "Now that is a kind boy and a proper gentleman that our princess deserves."

"Hmm?" Rikard asked while chewing on part of the trout.

"Oh nothing," he finished before taking a bite out of the blazed fish, "it's tasty to say the least."

After they finished their trout they were ready to continue their discussion. He had boiled some water to give to Elsa when she asked if he had anything to drink. She leaned over and rested her head on Hiccups shoulder once again this time forgetting about the lack of muscle.

"My last question for the night is am I allowed to tell Anna anything?"

Elsa took her head off his shoulder and stared at him for a moment thinking, "you can't tell her anything about my powers, why the gates were closed or why I can't talk to or play with her. You can however still play with her and talk to her about things, but if she asks about why I can't talk to her just make something up or say that I won't tell you the truth of what is happening between us."

Hiccup looked at Elsa for a moment "you mean you want me to lie to Anna? I don't know if I can do that to her Elsa, she deserves to know the truth. She has been hurting for years." Hiccup said embarrassed that he now had to hide another secret from someone, first was his tribe and now Anna.

"You must Hiccup, I know Anna doesn't deserve to have the truth hidden from her for so long but I will tell her eventually and she deserves to learn it from me and not from someone else. Do not worry I will tell her when the right moment presents itself." Elsa replied while bringing up her hands to cup Hiccups cheek in a loving manner.

Hiccup rested his face against her hand relaxing and closing his eyes.

Elsa looked up to see a star streak across the night sky, "oh wow."

"Hmm, what?" Hiccup asked confused.

"Nothing I just saw a shooting star, it's beautiful out here. Nice, peaceful and quiet." Elsa said while taking in her surroundings. The fire was casting dancing shadows against the walls of the cove. This was a nicer place to stay than the cold castle that held little warmth at least to her. Even though she never got cold that didn't mean she disliked being warmed up. She loved hot chocolate and tea, warm hugs and now her warm beau that gave her hot kisses. The last one caused her to blush a little.

As Elsa looked back at Hiccup she caught him staring at her, "what?"

"Oh, nothing. Just agreeing that it is beautiful out here." He replied while giving her hand a squeeze when he said 'beautiful'.

Elsa blushed a darker shade of crimson at the compliment.

"Well shall we go in; I think it is time we go to bed. We can talk again at breakfast." He replied getting up while extending a hand for Elsa to grab onto. She took the extended hand and Hiccup pulled her up, he wavered a bit not used to putting so much pressure on his new foot.

"Hey Toothless can you put out the fire?" he asked his reptilian friend.

Toothless went down to the pond and slurped a mouthful of water then sauntered over to the small fire and spit the water onto the flames extinguishing it. "Thanks buddy" Toothless heard when the last flame died out.

The climb up to the mouth of the cove to see that the two Guards had evolved into eight, he guessed that the rest of the Guards wanted to form a protective perimeter around the cove. He could see small fires here and there and hand held torches were just now being to be lit to mark the trail back to the village.

"Ready to go back Mr. Hiccup?" Karl asked.

Hiccup looked up at the aging Guard, "yes Sir, please remind your Guards to extinguish their camp fires."

The Corporal nodded at the request then gave a signal for his men to do what was asked.

Hiccup could hear flames being extinguished in the near distance.

He took Elsa's hand and led the way back to the village, he had taken this route so many times he didn't need neither a torch nor a map to know where to go.

After a lovely moonlit walk they were standing in between his house and Elsa's temporary lodging.

"Well, goodnight Elsa I will see you in the morning. And thank you for everything today." Hiccup said then gave Elsa a kiss to the forehead.

As Hiccup pulled back Elsa gave a smile that would make even a seasoned Viking smile in return, and smile Hiccup did. "Goodnight to you too Hiccup and your most welcome."

Hiccup then turned and slightly hobbled the short distance to his home, Elsa did the same but in the opposite direction. Within a few minutes of entering her temporary cabin, she was laying her head down on a soft pillow, was in dreamland and for the first time in a while went to bed without worry.

* * *

"Elsa? Princess Elsa? Can you hear me? It is time to get up; they are serving breakfast in the Great Hall." Gerda called out through the floor.

Slowly Elsa awoke from her slumber and nodded her head at what was said. She changed out of her sleepwear and into her attire that she had worn the previous day. Her hands slid into the water basin and brought the water up to her face, rinsing off the dirt, crust in her eyes and grime that she failed to get the previous day. Grabbing a nearby towel, she dried her face and fixed her hair into her customary braid.

After a few moments Gerda saw the Princess make her way down the stair with a smile etched on her face, instead of the usual frown she wore in the castle. Amazing how being in a relationship changed everything so quickly.

"Are you ready Princess Elsa?" Gerda motioned to the door.

Elsa nodded her head as acknowledgement for Gerda's question. She opened the door and followed after the princess.

Making her way up to the Great Hall, a massive hairy Viking opened the door for her bowing slightly as she walked by. She saw Hiccup in the far corner alone eating a bowl of what she could assume was porridge. Walking over to the long table of food, she filled her plate with fish, cheese, eggs, yak, and breads of different types. To top off her plate she grabbed some leverpostej and a mug of water. She soon strolled over to Hiccups table and sat across from him. Hiccup smiled as she sat down. "How was your sleep? Good I hope." She asked returning the smile.

"Best sleep I had in a while, though I did fall out of bed this morning. I guess I will have to get used to the fact that I have to attach a foot to my leg every morning for now on." Hiccup replied with a frown. Hiccup didn't tell her amount the immense pain he felt when he fell, he just bit on a piece of wood; he didn't want to bother the doctor for some pain medicine.

Elsa realized how much this would affect her friends' life from now on. He would have to turn this weakness into strength. She tried to think of something that would make Hiccup feel better about his new foot. A moment later a thought came to her.

"Well maybe you can turn your foot into a gadget or tool. I know how much you like to make new things for everyone, well now you can as you said 'make a few tweaks' for it yourself. You know, have a foot for flying and a foot for walking or a complex foot that can change with what you need." Elsa said with excitement in her voice trying to get him excited as well.

Hiccup just listened to his sweetheart ramble off on what he could do with his new foot; maybe this new life wouldn't be too bad after all.

"I will have to make plans and see what I can do with what I have, maybe I can get some new parts or metal from Arendelle. Your Kingdom has a more diverse selection of resources than our little island." Hiccup replied after drinking some mead.

Elsa nodded her head to this, "well you are welcome to give me a wish list with the materials you would like and maybe my father will send them to you. Even though we are together we still have to stick to the schedule. The next time we will see each other officially will be when I'm nineteen and you are eighteen. A whole three years from now."

Hiccup reached across the table and took hold of Elsa's hand. "We can stay in touch with letters and maybe I can sneak into your room when the Guards are not looking. And maybe we can ask our fathers if we can see each other more." Hiccup whispered.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at this suggestion.

"You are going to fly all the way from Berk to Arendelle on a dragon, which will most likely be noticed before you even make it halfway. I don't believe your father would allow you to be so open with dragons. Those creatures might scare my people; my Guards didn't even allow me to touch Toothless. This brings up another matter that I wanted to discuss with you."

Hiccup looked at Elsa with curiosity etched on his face.

"What will you do now in regard to the dragons?"

Hiccup scratched his head at this and then thought for a moment, "I guess I will teach dragons and Vikings to coexist. That we can work together instead of killing one another, I know not all Vikings and dragons will adhere to this but I believe I can convince the majority of them." He said to Elsa as she ate her fish and bread.

"Well however you wish to do that, please be careful." Elsa replied with a soft undertone.

Hiccup smiled at her caring words, "Don't worry I will be careful."

"You do realize this creates another dilemma for you, one that is very serious for your future. Dragons can now in theory be used as weapons of war against your fellow man." She spoke in a reserved voice.

This left Hiccup speechless; the idea of dragons being used as weapons sent a shiver up his spine. He would never use Toothless against anyone aggressively, but he could not speak for everyone. He knew some Vikings out there would want to do this to expand their territory or just to create death and destruction for others. He would have to create a plan for Berk and maybe expand it to Vikings he met along the way.

"Would your father use dragons as weapons if he got the chance?" Hiccup asked hesitantly, not wanting to insult Elsa.

"I don't believe so, we are not at war with anyone and we haven't been in a war for many decades. We are enjoying a peace and if word got out that we were arming ourselves with beasts that could attack from the air or sea, many nations would want to make war against us to prevent that. I can say for certain my father would never entertain that thought." Elsa said with absolute certainty. " _I hope my father would never use dragons for war_."

"Well that makes me feel a little bit better, but for the record they are not beasts, they are dragons." Hiccup replied with a little bit of agitation in his voice.

"I know that Hiccup, but anyone outside of Berk would call them that, that is what my Guards call them. But I will ask them to stop referring to them as such." She replied trying to soothe her agitated beau. " _He must really care about the welfare of Toothless and the other dragons_." She thought.

He nodded at this, "I guess I will have to make Vikings promise to never use dragons aggressively, always in defense. We can use them for transportation, carrying things and rescue, but never to make war. I will have every dragon rider swear an oath to this or something like it."

Hiccup remained quiet for a moment then looked at Elsa opening his mouth then closing it as if he wanted to say something.

"What is it Hiccup?"

Hiccup looked embarrassed to having to ask this of his partner but, "Elsa is there any more secrets that you are keeping from me? I know you told me many things last night and all of them you had kept a secret for nearly a decade, but I need to know is there anything else?"

Elsa grew quiet for several moments, making Hiccup fearful of the silence and what it meant

"No. There are no more secrets that I am keeping from you." Elsa replied with a smile.

Hiccup looked skeptical especially with how long it took her to answer.

"Ok, let us make a promise to one another that we will not keep any secrets from each other. No matter how small, we must be truthful at all times to make this relationship work. Can you do that for me?"

Elsa felt a little insulted that Hiccup didn't trust her, but she would do this for him, anything to make him happy.

"Of course Hiccup, I promise to never keep any secret from you no matter how small or damaging it may be. I will remain faithful to this promise till judgment day comes." Elsa said with conviction, her hand still holding onto his.

"And I promise to do the same till Valhalla comes to get me." Hiccup replied.

"How do you want to seal this promise?" Elsa asked.

Hiccup merely smiled as he leaned across the table and sealed his lips over hers. Elsa was taken aback from his boldness, but didn't dwell on it rather she kissed him back with just as much intensity as he put into it.

Astrid had a lousy morning, for she overslept and stepped in dragon droppings on her way to the Great Hall. "Nothing can get worse than this, all I need is some hot food and mead, then I can go for a ride on Stormfly which will make everything better." She said to herself as she ascended the many steps that were in front of the Great Hall.

As Astrid pulled open the doors she caught a glance of Hiccup and Elsa kissing, she promptly turned around and left the hall. "Alright, I will just eat later." She called out to no one, then moved to look for Stormfly.

After a moment they pulled back and blushed from doing such an intensive kiss in a public setting.

"Well would you like to walk around Berk for a while?" Hiccup asked while he got up from the table extending a hand toward Elsa.

"Yes, that sounds nice." She replied while accepting his hand, moving around the table to bring her shoulder to shoulder with Hiccup. She interlaced her arm with his, allowing them to be even closer together.

The two walked all over the island with a small group of Guards in tow, they discussed things of insignificant value, for they truly just wanted to spend time together before she had to go back to Arendelle.

After nearly four days of this, touring the island hand in hand and talking about the future and what it may bring for them, Elsa finally had to go home. It had been nearly three weeks since she had arrived and Hiccups father wanted to surprise his son with something, she guessed it was dragon related. She believed he wouldn't give it to him until she was safe back at Arendelle. Because of this she had announced that she was leaving and had the ship prepped for the journey to go back home. Of course Hiccup was dismayed by this news but respected her decision without any disdain.

"I will miss you Elsa" Hiccup said as he held her in his arms, the couple was on the cliff overlooking the harbor.

"And I will miss you Hiccup" she replied back as she nestled her face against his cheek. He did the same as he rested his face on her shoulder giving him access to her neck.

"What are you doing Hiccup?" Elsa asked as she could hear sounds of sniffing.

"Oh, your scent smells wonderful, what is it? It really makes me relax and not depressed that you are leaving."

Elsa smiled to herself knowing that her beau thought she smelled wonderful, "it is lavender, I will send you some once I get home. So that you can remember me when you go to bed or whenever you want to remember what I smell like."

He smiled in return for her kindness and always putting his happiness before her own.

"So the next time we will see each other is when you're nineteen and I am eighteen?" Hiccup asked making sure he had his math right.

"Yes, that is correct, a whole three years from now, uhh" Elsa replied with a groan, not wanting to leave Hiccup.

Hiccup pulled out of Elsa's hold, but still held on to her gloved hands. "Do not fret; those years will go by fast. And now since we are together, we will send letters and packages to one another regularly." Hiccup said then leaned in and captured her lips.

As he pulled back from the kiss, Elsa beamed from the attention and from what she believed was love that resided on her lips. "My, my where has all this confidence come from?" Elsa said then gave him a smirk.

Hiccup blushed and kicked his foot against the grass uprooting some blades and weeds. "You gave me the confidence to believe in myself in that I may be different but that is what makes us all unique in our own special way. I may suffer an injury, but you gave me ideas to make my prosthetic foot into a gadget with different purposes. You believe in me to become a great chief that loves all and wants a better future for my fellow Vikings and dragons." Hiccup smiled at Elsa and released a small breath through his nose before continuing. "In all I may have lost part of my leg but in my book it is worth it since I gained you in exchange."

Elsa let a few tears fall from her face at being put on such a high pedestal, the words and his smile made her feel such happiness that she wanted to take Hiccups into her arms and marry him right on the spot not wanting to wait.

Hiccup stood on his tip toes and leaned forward and kissed her forehead. After a few seconds he retreated back down.

"Thank you Hiccup, your words were beautiful and made me feel so confident, if only for a moment." Elsa replied back with a kind smile.

In the distance they could hear a ships bell toll signaling they were ready to sail.

"Well it is time Elsa, shall we walk down?"

"Yes lets" she said as she took his hand in hers.

The two made it down the winding wooden ramps to the dock, with a final kiss and hug, Elsa pulled out of Hiccups arms and waved goodbye to her beau from the top deck of the ship.

Aaron, Gerda and her Guards joined her in waving to their Viking caretakers who had gathered at the dock.

As she waved goodbye she felt horrible about having to lie to Hiccup, the one secret she couldn't tell him was the one about the contract; that they were arranged to marry one another. Only Stoick could tell him that, for if she did she risked voiding the contract and then Astrid could force herself on Hiccup at will and she wouldn't be able to stop her advances. She had to hope Stoick would tell him and soon; but for now she would feel good about finally being together with Hiccup. That night her bed never felt softer.

Soon Berk was out of sight and after three days of heavy winds, the ship made in back to Arendelle without incident.

* * *

As Elsa made her way back into the castle she was greeted by her parents, they asked her about Hiccup and how he was doing. She replied that he was doing well and even told them that she and Hiccup were officially courting. They were of course happy that the two had gotten together and invited her to join them for dinner. Elsa declined saying that she was tired; she excused herself from her parent's presence.

Elsa made her way down the hall to her room she stopped and remembered Hiccups words about telling Anna about her powers, " _I can only say that do try and fix your relationship with your sister at least, she deserves an answer but more importantly she deserves her sister back._ "

She made it to her bedroom door, but gazed to her left to the end of the hall where if she took a left turn Anna's bedroom would be immediately on her right. Taking in a deep breath and releasing; trying to boost her confidence a little. " _Okay, you can do this Elsa. Anna deserves to know the truth_." She said to herself. Moving down the hall that she hadn't been to in years she raised her hand to knock against the door, but suddenly a thought raced through her mind.

 _"_ _Wait, slow down!" Elsa shouted to Anna who was jumping from snow hill to snow hill which were created by her powers. Suddenly she slipped on the icy floor and fell on her back watching Anna jump into the air expecting another snow hill to form beneath her. She threw out an icy blast but it went too high and hit Anna in the head knocking her out instantly. She watched in horror as Anna's body slide down the hill onto the floor where she remained motionless. Elsa ran to Anna and held her in her arms, a narrow long platinum streak of color raced down her hair confirming her powers had indeed taken an effect against her."_

Elsa came out of her thoughts with her hand still poised in front of the door; looking down she saw a small bit of ice had spread out from her slippers, slowly she retracted her hand and stepped back from the door in fear of hurting Anna once again.

"Tomorrow, I will tell her tomorrow." Elsa whispered to herself as she quickly walked back to her own room, closed the door and locked it. And that is what she repeated to herself believing one day she would finally knock on Anna's door and tell her sister the truth about everything. She just hoped Anna would forgive her when that time would finally come.


	10. Death and Rebirth

**Authors Notes:** Once again thank you all for those of you who have favorited, left a review or added this story to their alerts. This is the longest chapter I have ever written, it came out to be 50 pages on Word. This and the next chapter was originally one chapter but became so long, I had to chop it in two. The reason why this is releasing now and not earlier is because from 10pm last night to 6am this morning I had a stomach virus. What I experienced I would not wish on any of my enemies.

Moving on, this is a shout out to anyone living in Norway, Sweden or even Finland, if any of you would be able to send me a private message detailing any local festivals, traditional holidays or delicacies, that would be a huge help. Sure I could look it up online, but locals are more accurate.

On February 22nd is my first day of orientation for my new job. I was finally able to get the job at the hospital so thank you to everyone who wished me luck or prayed for me, I believe it made a difference. I had to call in some favors, so I really have to prove myself at the department, which is why the timeline for releases will change. My shift is rotating so I won't know if I will be working nights, days, evenings or mornings, it is whatever they need. And it is fulltime, so I will be working a lot more than what I am used to. After chapter eleven the every three week release will be removed to whenever I can get a chapter out. Don't worry about me quitting this story, I have to much invested in it to stop now. I swear to you I will not abandon this story, I will become apart of the lucky few who actually completes their story. Besides I have already written the ending and some chapters later on that just needs to be connected with the rest of the story. Plus I don't see myself finishing till 2017 anyway, too many avenues to explore.

I wish to give a shout out to the following reviewers: orca3553, fantasylover4evr, Yumikana, ravenx1988, supersandman86, Guest, Red Star, Noctus Fury, and Dew That Is Blue.

By the way Noctus Fury from what I could find a Chief is a Lord in Arendelle; so I do not know what Chiefs son would be called. Anyone of you know? And personally I believe Hiccup feels that he is not better than anyone else and would not want to be treated differently, as to why he would just want to be called by his first name.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

Chapter 10

 _Death and Rebirth_

"Chief Stoick!" Johann called out as he sailed into Berks harbor.

Stoick turned around and smiled at the friendly merchant, "ah Johann, how are ye? Yer about a week late." Johann threw Stoick a line and he secured it to a nearby bollard.

"Ah sorry Stoick, I made a trip to Great Britain and they tried to tax my goods. Had to bribe an official to get my trade through." Johann replied while rubbing his neck bashfully.

"Be not embarrassed Johann, I learned never to trust those Anglo-Saxons. They care only about money and power." He said as his son ran up to him.

"Mr. Hiccup, my you have done some growing." Johann called out as the young man boarded the ship.

Hiccup had grown in the two years after he and Elsa had officially gotten together; he was now nearly nine stones in weight and nearly two meters tall. The boy had done most of his growing after he had saved his father from Dagur the Deranged. A longtime enemy Alvin the Treacherous was now on their side and they need not worry about invasion since Dagur had been imprisoned on Outcast Island which used to be the home of the Red Death.

He, himself was still lanky but his muscles were growing and with the training that his father was giving him to become the next Chief, he was filling out his old clothes.

"That I have Johann, my seventeenth birthday was a few months ago and all the running around is bulking me up a bit." Hiccup responded in a less than high pitch tone, his body was going through puberty and he was slowly gaining a deeper voice.

Soon Stoick joined his son on the boat and looked about for new treasures.

"So what did you bring us?" Hiccup asked.

Johann moved about the ship showing them new rare treasures from the farthest reaches of the known world. "Ah, I have brought some wine from the Kingdom of France, some wool and silk from the Kingdom of Corona, fine swords from the Kingdom of Weselton and ice from the Kingdom of Arendelle." Johann said pointing over his shoulder to the large block of ice in the back of the hold.

Trade between the Kingdom of Arendelle and Berk had been restricted as of late, but Stoick was slowly opening up to the idea of sending more than just animal hides and iron ore to his southern neighbor. He was still hesitant though at attracting unwanted attention from the other kingdoms, they could possibly send up patrols to see what was to gain and the discovery of dragons could either go one of two ways. Either they were frightened and would seek to eradicate just as he had for many years or would try to acquire them for military purposes which sent a chill down his old spine.

The ice Arendelle sent them on every trade was some of the best ice one could ask for, sure they could get their own ice from the ocean but it tasted of salt and was hardly edible. But the ice from Arendelle was from their lakes or glaciers and when melted down it provided the cleanest drinking water one could ever want, either that or they could put their meats on it and preserve the food for weeks instead of days. The water was used for special celebrations and when they ran out of the ice water, they drank from the well.

Stoick was brought of his thoughts at the sound of his son making a comment about the kingdoms.

"So many kingdoms, too bad they can't just have their country be named with one word, like Berk." Stoick commented back.

"Well, if you would let me explore dad, Berk could become a kingdom too. There are many unclaimed islands in the archipelago we could have and thus we could become the Kingdom of Berk." Hiccup commented off handily as he looked at a Weselton sword.

"Oh and where would you get the Vikings to settle these new lands son? We have less than five hundred Vikings, we don't have the man power to claim and hold these new islands if a foreign country ever challenged our claim." Stoick countered.

Johann took a step between the two Vikings, "well Chief these kingdoms are so often at war with each other that I don't think they would notice if you claimed these lands. They hardly know you even exist. Only Arendelle knows you exist outside of their lands."

Stoick rubbed his hand against his forehead already knowing he had lost this battle, his son was beginning to sneak out at night to explore these new lands and map them out.

"Don't encourage him Johann; did we receive anything extra from Arendelle?" Stoick asked wanting to get out of the losing conversation.

Johann pulled out his manifest and looked over the shipments, "besides the regular shipments of medicine and blankets, I have a special package for Hiccup from Princess Elsa, and here you are Hiccup." He said while handing the medium sized package to the young Viking. Hiccup took it with a smile on his face before he excused himself and took off running toward his cove most likely.

"Anything for me?" Stoick asked.

"Actually yes, here is a letter from King Agdar." Johann said as he handed Stoick the letter with the official crest of Arendelle on the back.

" _Ah, Agdar now that is a good name for a leader. I think his name means honorable or star. That King deserved every word associated with it."_ Stoick thought as he broke the seal and started to read the letter.

" _Greetings: Chief Stoick of Berk, I hope you are well. I am writing to you to announce that my wife Idun and I are leaving in a month for a two week trip. I have told my daughters that we are traveling to the Kingdom of Corona to see their distant cousin Princess Rapunzel and the King and Queen. In truth we are traveling to Wolgast in the German Confederation to find a cure for Elsa's curse. I know we may find nothing but they are more advanced in the medical and science realm than us. Thus I am formally requesting that Hiccup be sent to Arendelle for Elsa. It will be the first time that we have left Elsa and Anna alone in the castle together and will not be available if something goes wrong with Elsa's powers._

 _Though, personally I do not see this happening since Elsa has control of her powers, but better safe than covered in snow. Your son Hiccup has a way with our daughter in calming her down or making her feel safe and this will be a good chance to advance their relationship in the correct direction. I will await your decision on whether you will send Hiccup or not. I hope you will let your son have a small vacation from your training. Elsa has told me from letters that your son has sent her that you are training him hard in the ways of becoming the future Chief of your village. I have the utmost confidence that Hiccup will become a great Chief and a good husband for my eldest daughter. With respect and admiration, King Agdar of Arendelle_ "

And under the king's signature was the crest of Arendelle.

" _One month that is plenty of time to respond_ " Stoick thought, " _wait a moment, Johann is late so how much time do I actually have?"_

Stoick looked up from the letter to see Johann trading with other Vikings of his tribe, "Johann when was this letter given to ye?" he called out.

"About three weeks ago, Chief." He said then went back to trading.

Stoick's eyes went wide for a moment when he realized they were leaving in less than a week, if he sent out a letter today it would take four days for Johann to reach Arendelle and Hiccup would have to make the journey in less time than a boat could sail to that kingdom. He had to teach Hiccup another lesson before he would allow his son to go there; one that involved women and growing up. He still had to tell his son about the contract, but that would be for another time.

"Johann do you have a pencil and parchment?"

Johann looked around and found said materials then handed them to the Chief.

Stoick wrote out a letter saying that he would send Hiccup and he would most likely be in Arendelle in one week after he had taught his son about how to treat women as well as the birds and bees. With a signature and stamp to confirm the authenticity of the letter he folded it up and slid it into a spare tube to which he closed and gave to Johann for safekeeping and delivery.

"Johann, this letter is very important. It needs to be delivered to King Agdar as soon as possible." And to make it seem urgent Stoick handed Johann four gold pieces.

"Do not worry Chief, the letter will make it there in four days give or take. This reminds me of the time the King of Sverige called upon me to deliver a message of the Queen of France. Oh those were the times, it all started when…" Johann started, and Stoick was sucked into a retelling of most likely a dream that the merchant had. He was immediately jealous that his son was alone and reading a letter from someone who cared deeply for him.

* * *

Hiccup did indeed receive a letter from Elsa besides the small box of lavender from inside the package much to his enjoyment; he was currently reading the letter while leaning lazily against Toothless who was sleeping in bottom of the cove. The two would often go there when they wanted to relax or go flying. Hiccup brought the box of lavender up to his nose and inhaled deeply, instantly an image of Elsa smiling at him came to the forefront of his mind. He returned that smile with one of his own, " _so this is what it is like to be in love; I could get used to it_. _"_

Elsa had stated in her letter that her parents were leaving soon for Corona. She was afraid at being left alone with Anna and wished that he was there to comfort her. " _Oh I would comfort her alright, a kiss here and there and then we would walk throughout the castle and talk about nothing for hours then kiss some more."_ Hiccup came out of his thoughts with a huge blush, "Jeez, I need to stop thinking about Elsa. She is going to drive me crazy just imagining her. Odin do I miss her." He said softly to no one.

"Miss who? You miss me?" Someone said as they plopped down beside him.

Hiccup turned to his right and saw his second-in-command Astrid Hofferson take a seat beside him a little too close for just being friendly.

"What is in the box?" Astrid said as she took said box and opened it.

"Sure, go right ahead and open it, it is not like it isn't your property and everything" Hiccup said to himself quietly, slightly mad that Astrid often went through the stuff that Elsa sent him.

He of course would protest but its Astrid, she would do as she wished, plus having that axe helped a little.

"Is this lavender? What are you doing with lavender?" She gave him an incredulous look that he would have that kind of plant.

"Elsa sent it to me. It is her scent and smelling it makes me relax. It helps me sleep too." Hiccup replied while taking back the box and holding it to his chest.

Astrid gave a small glare to the box and what it represented; she grew to hate that princess since it was Elsa that stole Hiccup away from her.

She then got an idea and a small smirk spread across her face, "You know Hiccup, there are other means that can help one relax."

Hiccup looked straight ahead and basically ignored what Astrid had said, instead he thought of Elsa.

"Oh, and what would that way be?" He said nonchalantly.

"This…" Astrid said as she moved in front of Hiccup and pressed her lips to his. It took several seconds for Hiccup to realize that it wasn't Elsa that was kissing him, " _wait a moment Elsa is not on Berk, so who is kissing me?"_ He thought before his cloudy vision cleared up and saw that it was Astrid who was kissing him. Hiccup immediately pushed Astrid off of him and stood up, which woke Toothless up with a groan.

"Astrid, what in Odin's name are you doing!" He shouted, pissed that this was the fourth or fifth time that she had done things like this to get him to like her.

Astrid just smiled and tried to play ignorance.

"What? It was just a friendly kiss."

Hiccup groaned and brought his fingers up to rub the ridge of his nose, "Astrid for the last time, I am with Elsa, we are an official couple as recognized by both my father and the King and Queen of Arendelle. We, as in you and I were never and will never be together. You messed up your chance of being with me from years of neglect. All you are to me is a friend." He said forcefully.

"Well, I could be a special kind of friend. Elsa does not need to know. We could do everything that you and Elsa do together, but just do those things here on Berk." Astrid said with a smile.

Hiccup was stunned at what Astrid was offering him, but also a little disgusted. Did she think so little of his and Elsa's relationship that it could be broken by a mere kiss?

Hiccup moved to get on Toothless to get away from this awkward situation, "I will see you at the Dragon Academy tomorrow, Astrid. And I will not tell my father of what transpired here today." Hiccup said before engaging Toothless' tail and taking off.

Astrid watched the two fly into the blue sky, "one-day Hiccup, you will be mine and you will see that I am better than that little princess." She said with a small cynical smile.

* * *

Toothless and Hiccup flew around Berk for a while before landing inside of his room through the skylight. As Toothless went over to his food basket, Hiccup walked down the stairs to see his father cooking three large Atlantic Cod over the open fire pit. He then saw a large block of ice in the back of the house, with a small piece of it already chopped off and laying on the table. "Long day dad?" He asked while pointing to the ice on the table.

Stoick looked up from the fire, "aye, Gothi has predicted that a massive storm will come up from the South. I told Gobber to start putting supplies into the Great Hall."

Hiccup looked stunned by the news, "a storm this early? Here? But rain storms never come from the South; they usually come in from the West."

"Aye that they do, but Gothi is never wrong. Not only that, but the King and Queen of Arendelle are going on a trip to _Wolgast_ in the German Confederation. They will be sailing through that storm, but as long as they stay along the coast and don't go out into the open North Sea they will be fine."

Hiccup tensed at the thought of Elsa's parents sailing through the storm.

Stoick saw his son tense up, "do not worry Hiccup, Arendelle has some fine sailing captains in their navy. They know what to do." Stoick said trying to relax his son. "Now sit."

He and Hiccup sat down at the table and started to consume their cod with much fervor. Halfway through, Stoick decided to bring up the rest of the letter. "Son, there is another matter I need to discuss with ye." He said after taking a drink of mead.

"What is it dad?" Hiccup asked while looking up from his fish.

"Since Agdar and Idun are going to another Kingdom that means Elsa is going to be alone with her sister Anna. Naturally her parents are scared at the two being together because of their history. They have asked that I allow you to go to Arendelle to keep Elsa happy and contented during their absence."  
Naturally Hiccup perked up at the thought of being with Elsa.

"I have responded to their letter with approval of their request, but only after ye go through one more lesson in combat tactics and a special lesson in women."

"A special lesson in women? Dad what are you talking about?" Hiccup asked generally confused.

Stoick for the first time in his life was rather embarrassed having to tell his son about these things, usually the mother would tell her son about such things but with Valka gone, he had to step up and give this speech.

"Hiccup, every man goes through this in one point in their life; yers is now. Naturally at yer age ye will want to start to explore a woman's body. And since ye will be alone with Elsa while ye are there it will be easy for ye to do so. But I must ask that ye use restraint, for ye only have one innocence in life and that must be saved for one's wedding night." Stoick said while looking into his son's eyes. Thankfully his redness on his cheeks was partially covered by his massive mustache.

Naturally by now Hiccup knew what was going on and a huge blush spread across his face in embarrassment. " _Oh Odin, please make him stop_."

"Ye will naturally want to make Elsa happy by giving pleasure to her." His father said softly trying to use the correct words; " _please Odin make him stop, I beg you_." Hiccup thought wanting this moment to end.

After nearly a half hour of mind numbing talks Hiccup knew the lesson was at an end since they were talking about what to do on a wedding night.

"And when ye undress one another, ye must take control and make sure she is on her back during the process. That is the only way to move forward, we must have strong Vikings come into this world and ye being on yer back is not how things are done. And once you feel her release only then do you release yer seed into her. Ye may need to repeat the process three times that night to make sure she is well filled."

" _Well filled? Odin please kill me now_." Hiccup begged the God of Gods to hear his silent prayer.

But much to his dissatisfaction his father continued on.

"And naturally there are other positions ye can try, but the ones that have her on top; ye must spill yer seed outside her body. If ye do not ye will have weak children."

"Anything else dad" Hiccup said embarrassedly.

"Not really except, ye cannot use any birth control. Anything that prevents life is strictly prohibited, so no teas, herbs or skins are allowed during the 'process'. Understood?" Stoick asked his flush faced son.

"Yes father, and if that is all I will go upstairs and throw up." Hiccup said as he got up from the table and hobbled his way up the stair case.

"Son take this seriously, ye do not want a child before yer ready. Remember only after yer married are ye allowed to enjoy the flesh of a woman. Understand?"

"Please dad just stop already." Hiccup called down from the upstairs.

"Fine, ye will be leaving in five days and yer are allowed to take Toothless with ye. Since a ship would take too long and be at risk of sinking, ye can fly with Toothless over the storm and be faster getting to Arendelle. My only request is that ye hide yer dragon away from the public, they are not used to seeing a creature like that."

Hearing that Hiccup came to the banister that looked over the fire pit.

"Really?" Hiccup asked skeptical that his father would allow Toothless beyond the archipelago.

"Against my better judgment, yes. The storm that is coming will sink any ship that goes through it, and while I don't want ye in danger. I must please the King and Queen and if ye are keeping Elsa happy, then they can rest easy knowing nothing will happen between Elsa and Anna." Stoick finished then looked up to see his son with a smile.

"Now, don't go overboard with Toothless now, just because I am letting ye take yer dragon doesn't mean ye can do whatever ye want while yer over there. And that includes Toothless eating all the wildlife and setting everything on fire while yer off with the princess. Be sure to keep that dragon in line and in a cave preferably." He finished knowing he could see the gears in his son's mind moving already at what he would do while he was there.

"Yes father." Hiccup responded with a smile, "Night."

"Night son."

After he heard his son's soft snores he leaned back into his chair smiling at the fact that his son was becoming a man slowly, he just wished he had enjoyed Hiccups younger years instead of focusing on the village. He made a promise to himself to try and connect more with his son while he could.

* * *

After a few days of learning archery, sword tactics and how to disarm an opponent Hiccup was upstairs packing his things and getting Toothless' saddle ready for the trip.

"Now let me see if I have everything I need. Flight suit?" Hiccup looked down at his body, "Check. Interchangeable leg? Check. Spare leg? Check. Spare pouches to carry everything in for Toothless' saddle? Check. Umm spare clothing, food and supplies? Check. Mint leaves for my breath and some soap? Check."

After looking in all the pouches to which he then attached to the saddle, he looked around his room to make sure he had everything. Going downstairs and bringing up a basket of fish he turned it over and the fish poured out onto the floor.

"Here you go Toothless; I want you to have lots of energy so we can make at least three hundred kilometers by tonight. We have to hope we find an island we can land on by late evening otherwise we will have to keep flying till we do so." He said as Toothless ate up all the fish, wolfing them down without chewing.

"Right, buddy you go out through the skylight and get used to the weight. I will meet you at the cliff; I need to talk to dad first."

Toothless nodded his head then jumped onto the roof.

"Okay Hiccup you can do this, your first time traveling to Arendelle alone and your first big ocean trip. Just fly over the storm and everything will be smooth flying." Hiccup said confidently to himself as he traveled down to the workshop where his father was helping Gobber.

"Hey Hiccup, are ye ready for yer trip?" Gobber asked while inspecting an axe.

"Yes, just getting a spare tail for Toothless. Don't want to be stuck on a deserted island again."

Gobber nodded his head remembering when Hiccup, Snotlout and Toothless were stranded for the night and then worked together to get off the island. At least it improved the relationship of those three a little.

Hiccup walked into the forge and pulled out the tail and wrapped it in twine so it would be easier to handle. His father came out of the back and walked up to him.

"Ye ready son?" He asked as he gave Hiccup his old journal to which he secured under his flying suit.

"As ready as I will ever be dad" Hiccup said then smiled.

Stoick relaxed a little seeing his son had grown into a semi-mature young adult; though he was stubborn he took flying very seriously and would never intentionally get himself into harm's way.

"Well, be safe son."

Hiccup looked at his father and gave him a confused look.

"What?"

"That's it? You're just allowing me to fly off without a long winded speech?"

"Ye want a long speech? Okay." Stoick started

" _Dammit, why did I say something? I should have just gotten on Toothless and flown away."_

Hiccup came back to reality to hear his father talking about how to navigate properly.

"Dad, everything will be okay. I am a Viking and we don't get lost remember? _Well, most of the time at least_."

"Of course son, but just remember ye can tame women, ye can tame dragons, but ye cannot tame Mother Nature. So be careful and don't rush into anything."

Hiccup smiled and nodded his head; he then walked out of the shop and attached the spare tail to the underbelly of Toothless. He mounted and made sure everything was secure. He looked at the shop and waved his hand. Stoick and Gobber returned the gesture. Hiccup switched his foot into the takeoff position and Toothless jumped into the air and they began their journey. First diving down the cliff face then pulling up to skim across the ocean's surface so close Hiccup could see fish beneath the surface, and then pulled up slowly until they were above the cloud line.

After a full day of flying the two landed on a deserted island which looked like the same island he was stranded on two years back. The two found a cave and entered seeing drawings on the ceiling, this cave had been used several times over the years by travelers and other Vikings. Walking out and gathering some broken twigs and dried driftwood Hiccup made a fire while Toothless caught some fish that were in the shallows of the ocean.

He descaled the fish and cooked them up for himself while Toothless ate his share raw. The two then went to sleep near the smoldering fire.

The next day they were up bright and early to get started on their journey. After several hours of flying, he looked up from his journal to see the sun settling just underneath the clouds.

"Wow, this is beautiful. What do you think bud?"

Toothless grunted in response.

It was as if the sun was diving into a never ending ocean. He could see the moon behind him at his eleven o'clock; the stars were already above him in all their glory. Pulling himself closer to Toothless to gain some warmth, the temperature above the clouds at night was in the lower double digits and they could not fly for too long before the tail would freeze up.

"I wonder what Elsa is doing right now; I hope I can make it to her by the day after tomorrow. That would only leave her being alone with Anna for one day." Hiccup gave out a chuckle when he heard himself. "What am I worrying for? She can take care of herself, besides Anna would never invade someone else's privacy. Those two are ladies and they act as such, well maybe Elsa more than Anna." He gave out another chuckle before concentrating on an image of Elsa smiling at him. That thought alone made him feeling ten times warmer. "Odin, I love her."

A blush coming to his face as he said those three powerful words.

* * *

Elsa was currently walking down one of many hallways that led toward the bottom of the grand staircase that eventually would lead to the Great Hall where a painful memory resided. Passed that would lead to the welcoming room and out to the front gates.

Today was the day that her parents were sailing off to the Kingdom of Corona. They would be gone for two whole weeks. Two long weeks with no one to prevent Anna from knocking on her door and asking if she wanted to build a snowman.

"I wish I was on Berk with Hiccup at least he could entertain me or we could just walk around the island together. I hope he got my package, those lavender petals should let him remember what I smell like. God, do I miss him." She said to herself.

As Elsa walked to the staircase she could see her parents coming off the last step, approaching them and giving a proper curtsey. "Do you have to go?" Elsa said with a sad look of wanting her parents to not leave her.

"You'll be fine Elsa. Besides, a month ago I dispatched a letter to Chief Stoick asking if he would send his son to Arendelle to stay while we were gone. And two days ago I received a reply; he granted my request and would send Hiccup as soon as he gave him a special talk. I would believe since Hiccup cares deeply for you he will arrive here the day after tomorrow. Just go easy on him and no funny business." Agdar replied with a gentle smile.

Elsa couldn't believe her ears; her parents were sending her the one person that could make her feel like a normal girl if only for a little while. She was speechless.

"Your father is right Elsa, remember you are a lady and princess first then a lover. I do not want to see any markings on your neck when we get back, understood?" Idun asked her hopelessly in love daughter.

Elsa's face turned a crimson shade of red, "of course mother. I will be a good girl." She then gave a small reassuring smile to the two.

Her mother moved forward and gathered Elsa into her arms, Elsa hesitantly hugged back still wary of her powers. Her father soon joined the two and put his arms around both of them completing the hug.

"It will be okay Elsa, we will be back in two weeks and will have a nice dinner with Hiccup just the four of us. We will discuss the future of you two if you would like?" Her mother asked.

"That sounds alright, I will have to ask Hiccup first and see what he thinks of it. But he will usually agree as long as it makes me happy."

The three stayed like that for a moment before Kai cleared his throat.

"Sorry to interrupt your majesties, but you must be on your way before nightfall and the sun is beginning to set." Kai advised.

Agdar then Idun pulled out of the hug leaving Elsa standing in front of the staircase.

"See you in a little while Elsa and give our love to Hiccup when he arrives." Her father said to her as the Guards came in and took the luggage away to the ship. Her mother and father took one last look at her and smiled then walked toward the Grand Hall.

She on the other hand walked up the staircase toward the library. As Elsa made her way into the library, she walked over to the large window that overlooked the bridge to the castle, the village and the harbor. In the distance she could see her parents boarding the ship with an escort of Guards. After a few minutes they were sailing out of the fjord and into the open Norwegian Sea. Though that move frightened her, for far off in front of them were dark looking storm clouds with lightning dancing between the clouds that seemed to stretch for dozens and dozens of kilometers upward and outwards.

" _It will be okay Elsa; they always come home when one of them traveld around the Kingdom. They always come back, they will come back and when they do Hiccup will be here and we will have a nice dinner together. All I have to do is wait two more nights and he will arrive then those two weeks will fly by_." She said to herself as she turned away from the large window and retreating back into her room.

If she had looked back at the window she would have seen frost covering the bottom of the window sill, the wall and the floor where her feet had been.

" _Just two more nights._ "

* * *

"Okay buddy, we are only a day from Arendelle. If we land now and start early tomorrow morning, we should get there by the evening and ahead of schedule. Sound good?" Hiccup asked toothless as they made landfall on an island near the western edge of the Arendelle coastline. Now all they had to do was fly across the entire breath of the Arendelle Kingdom which measured nearly three hundred and five kilometers across and God knows how far in length. Arendelle was really a massive Kingdom, nearly a thousand times the size of Berk. He had really lucked out in courting the right girl if he wanted to explore another kingdom with nearly free reign.

Toothless responded with his usual warble and a nod of his head.

The two set up shelter under the stars with Hiccup leaning against his dragons back for warmth.

He could faintly hear a low rumble off in the distance, looking off to see the storm just as Gothi had predicted was slowly coming their way.

"Hmm, it looks like we have a good eight hours before it comes here. It is best to be in the air within seven." He said as he brought the blanket up to his chest and closed his eyes. The cool breeze swept across his face, tussling his brown hair. Toothless on the other hand was eyeing the impending storm with a small bit of fear; him and those bright flashes never got along too well.

After their sleep, they awoke to a sight they had never seen. Waves the size of mountains was rolling across the sea, rain was coming down in sheets and the wind could knock down a mature tree. Even Hiccup was nervous to try and fly through something like that; luckily they were flying over it.

"Okay Toothless, are you ready?" Hiccup asked his dragon who looked weary of flying through something with that much lightning. Toothless looked back at his human companion and shook his head from side to side.

"It will be fine Toothless, we can fly over the storm just like we do at night, everything will be okay." Hiccup said trying to reassure his reptilian friend.

Toothless just nodded his head cautiously.

Hiccup put the tail into the takeoff position and Toothless jumped into the air, and after a few minutes they were flying above the clouds toward the darkened storm that seemed to stretch in front of them for hundreds of kilometers in every direction. Soon they were about to pierce the edge of the storm when Hiccup asked Toothless to climb higher. As they ascended into the clouds the rain pelted Hiccups unprotected face, he brought up a hand to stop the rain from pelting his eyes. " _Odin's beard, I wish I had a mask or a helmet to protect my eyesight_." He thought to himself as the storm drenched him and Toothless. Hiccup could swear they rose into the clouds for minutes on end; the storm seemed to reach up into the heavens and beyond.

"Okay buddy it seems we can't fly over the storm, take us back down and we will just fly through it." Hiccup shouted so his friend could hear him over the thunder, the howls of wind and the cracks of lightning that lit the sky.

Toothless just looked back at Hiccup with a disbelief look etched on his face.

"I know buddy, but we have no choice." Hiccup tried to reassure his friend.

Toothless dived back down till they were flying a hundred meters or so over the tree line. The weather was not better down there either, in fact it was worse. The wind and rain nearly caused him to be blown off his saddle a few times. " _Dear Odin, I hope it is better where Elsa is_ " he thought to himself as he squinted his eyes so they wouldn't accidentally fly into a mountain.

* * *

Elsa paced back and forth in her room, tomorrow was the day that Hiccup was supposed to arrive but the storm had gotten worse from the night before. The ships in the harbor were being driven up onto the pier, and waves were hitting the mouth of the harbor entrance with such force that the wave spray reached over the walls lining the entrance that snaked their way back to the castle itself. Just then a flash of lightning lit up the sky and crashed down onto one of the metal rods that rose over guard towers. The booming sound from the crack of lightening caused the windows to vibrate. Elsa lit a gas lamp to illuminate her darkened room.

"It will be okay Elsa," she said to herself trying to improve her confidence level.

"Hiccup will make it through unharmed and then we can have dinner and talk for hours on end and maybe we can sit together and read books in the library in front of a warm fire." Elsa continued wanting to do so many things with Hiccup when he came.

"Please Hiccup come soon, I miss you so much." She whispered as she looked out of her window at the swirling storm clouds and moving sea that seemed to never slowdown in sending waves that crashed against the castle walls.

* * *

After hours of flying, Hiccup knew they were a quarter of the way there. But this rain and wind were something else, the storm seemed go on forever and never lost any of its strength. In fact, there was a point in the storm where it was absolute calm and they could see the starry night sky above them. But after a few more minutes they pierced another wall of clouds and they were once again drenched in wind and rain. It got to the point where he could barely breathe for if he opened his mouth the water would fly into it and he was not able to drink the water fast enough eventually causing him to choke on the rain. Hiccup pressed his chest to Toothless' saddle in hopes of not being hit as much by the wind, sadly it had no effect. Even Toothless was struggling to keep them flying in a straight line and with no visible land markers they could be flying in the wrong direction all together.

"Okay Toothless, we can't go on. Find us somewhere to touchdown and we will hunker down for the night." Hiccup yelled into his friend's massive ear.

Toothless didn't respond, he just dived through the tree line and landed with a thud. Hiccup unclipped himself and jumped off Toothless looking for someplace to take shelter, but there was none. There was nothing but trees for kilometers in every direction. As he realized the seriousness of their situation, the cold rain had soaked through his flight suit making his clothes underneath as wet as his hair. Shivers of cold wracked his body and he fought through the howling wind to find dry wood or pine needles to make a fire with.

Hiccup collapsed to his knees tired and out of breath, Toothless moved over to a small dry spot under a massive pine tree. He nestled to the ground and moved his wing up and over Hiccup protecting him from the rain. Hiccup looked at his friend who looked back at him and tilted his head toward his under belly. Hiccup got the idea and he slowly crawled into Toothless' embrace, Hiccup placed his head onto his friend's paw and felt Toothless retract his wing back against his side to insulate him and his human against the reduced wind and rain. Hiccup was sandwiched between Toothless' warm body and the dry ground. He could hear his friends' heart thumping away against his shoulder and that gentle rhythm eventually allowed Hiccup to close his eyes and fall into a gentle sleep. " _I have the best friend in the world, Odin do I love my dragon_ " Hiccup thought as he drifted off into dream world.

Finally, after three days of flying short distances and resting underneath Toothless, the storm had finally died out and all that remained was a few dark patches of rain. He could see Arendelle below him as he flew around a tall snowy mountain. Now he had to find a cave and hide Toothless in there for two weeks, he would bring him food and supplies every other night and fix his tail so he could fly alone or hunt if he wanted to. After a little bit of searching he had found a small cove like the one back home that was near the back of the fjord, it had a small stream and high enough walls to protect Toothless from unwanted eyes.

"Okay Toothless you will be living here for the next two weeks. I have traded your tail out so you can hunt or fish on your own; you just need to avoid being seen by anyone. Can you do that?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless gave a puppy like expression as if saying " _can I come?_ "

"I'm sorry bud, the people of Arendelle are not used to seeing a dragon and I'm afraid of what their reaction might be towards you. I will not take that chance. I will come back every so often with supplies and food to make your stay easier. But you can explore the area around you and hunt to your heart's content. Just stay away from the populated areas and make sure you're not tracked."

Toothless nodded his head in response; he then sniffed the air and took off toward most likely small game. Hiccup smiled that his dragon had found something to do while he was gone. Hiccup put everything he brought along into a large rucksack and tied it to his back, as he came out of the cove he caught a glimpse of Arendelle a few miles away. It seemed every time he came the village got more and more beautiful. He was able to see and take in more of the area around the castle, the levels of the hills that allowed the village to expand up and have different buildings to be built upon them. The wall that extended out from the castle seemed to be look stronger and more robust though in a peaceful way. Whenever he traveled outside the castle the village square was vibrant and filled with people, though for some reason this time not a soul was seen in the square. It could have been the recent weather, but this time something felt off, not even merchants were seen unloading their catch of the day.

Slowly he made his way over to the bridge that led to the gates and upon arrival to them he knocked. He looked behind him and saw that several of the lamp posts had toppled over onto the walkway, it seemed the city had taken modest damage from the storm. After a moment a small cutout of the door opened to reveal the face of the Captain of the Royal Guard. "Hello Birger, how are you this evening?" Hiccup asked the man who saved his life that one time in the forest.

"Hiccup? Is that you?" He asked after opening the gate and beckoning him in.

Birger and Hiccup knew of each other but did not know each other personally, mostly nodding their heads toward the other and the occasional small chat when Hiccup needed something, but other than that not much was said between the two.

"Yes it is Birger, how is everything in the land of Arendelle?" Hiccup asked as the two walked toward the Reception room.

"You mean you don't know?" Birger asked with a solemn voice.

Hiccup picked up the subtle voice change and was scared to ask what had happened.

"Don't know what? What happened? Is Elsa alright?" He asked immediately.

"Princess Elsa is fine, though now she won't even come out of her room for dinner or go to the library."

The Captain offered Hiccup a seat to which he took, the opposite seat facing him being taken up by Birger. The room was dimly lit and a sense of dread hung in the room, the once warm reception area felt cold and lifeless.  
"Hiccup I wish you wouldn't have to find out like this, but King Agdar and Queen Idun died in the storm. The ship they were sailing on was consumed by the sea, only small pieces of the ship washed up on the shore. The funeral was held only a few hours ago, two large stones were laid down on top of a hill, with smaller stones laid down at the bottom of the hill for the Guards and sailors who also lost their lives." Birger said in a hushed tone, Hiccup could hear the sadness in his voice.

Hiccup was taken aback by this news, the King and Queen had treated him as if he was their own son. Adgar alone had given him reassurance and confidence in himself when no one else would, a tear came to his eye at remembering the chapel. Hiccup bowed his head and brought up his hand to cover his mouth that was hanging open from the shock that these two wonderful people had left the earth way too early. The two just sat on the couches in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Hiccup asked a question not many would have asked.

"How many sailors and Guards did you lose?"

Birger was shocked that Hiccup asked that question, when people heard the Queen and King had died they usually forgot about the other people that must have been on the ship too.

"A dozen of my Guards, men I knew for years and nearly three dozen sailors." He replied in a solemn voice, the faces of those he had commanded flashed in front of him.

"You have my condolences; would you like me to make a sacrifice to the Gods so they can make a safe passage to the heavens?" Hiccup asked in a hushed voice.

"You can do as you see fit, but you must realize that the King and Queen did not have the same beliefs as you, we for the most part are Evangelical Lutheran and believe in one God."

Hiccup nodded his head realizing that not everyone believed the same way Vikings did, the world was just so big and he wanted to explore more of it and find different people, different cultures and different religions.

"I know that they didn't have the same beliefs as me and my fellow Vikings but, I just wanted to do something since I missed the funeral, I want to pay my respects." Hiccup replied back thinking of the conversation he previously had with Adgar.

"Well, their resting site is north of the castle about a five-minute walking from here, it is enough distance from the village that they cannot be disturbed from future growth." Birger directed.

Hiccup just nodded his head and then stood up and grabbed his ruck sack throwing it on his shoulder and moving away from the couch.

"Where is Anna, I need to pay my respects." He asked Birger.

"Anna? I would have thought for sure that you would want to see Elsa first." Birger responded.

Hiccup made his way to the reception door that led to the Grand Hall, but stopped before he opened it.

"I have ignored Anna for too long and besides I already know where to find Elsa." Hiccup said not turning his head back to Birger.

"Hmm, I suppose so. Anna is in the courtyard. I will see you around Hiccup." Birger said as he made his way back outside.

Hiccup opened the door and walked down the dimly lit halls to the hallway that held both his and Elsa's rooms; he quietly crept up to Elsa's door and put his ear next to the key hole. He heard soft breathing and a soft snore indicating that she was a sleep. Hiccup carried his stuff quietly to his old room; he tossed his rucksack on the bed and made his way to the courtyard. He saw Anna sitting on the same bench that they had used when she told him to talk to Elsa so many moons ago. Slowly moving toward her unseen he put his hand down on top of the bench and briefly hovered his other hand over her shoulder before retracting.

"Anna." He said quietly jolting her out of her day dreams.

Anna turned her head to look up at her friend with puffy red eyes from hours of crying; she instantly got up and went around the bench to hug Hiccup a gesture he returned fervently.

"Hiccup" was all she replied as they hugged for what seemed like hours, she crying softly into his shoulder.

It was then that Hiccup noticed that she was wearing a sort of black and grey color robe and a black cap that covered her ears and part of her head, as if a constant reminder of what had transpired only a few hours ago.

Hiccup just stroked her back with his right hand as his left held their waists together; he pulled back slightly and moved them back to the bench, sitting down.

"How are you holding up Anna?" He spoke softly

More tears streamed down Anna's face before looking up at her friend, "Awful, is this how you felt when you lost your mother?"

Hiccup was surprised that she would reference to him losing his mother as if those two events were equal.

"No, I was saddened but at least I still had my father but you have it worst since you lost both your parents at the same time." He said before taking her hand into his, "Everything will be alright Anna, I promise."

"No it won't, my parents were the only people I had in the world, and now I am truly alone. Elsa at least has you, while I have no one to call my sister or partner." She said shaking her head at Hiccups promise.

"What are you talking about? Elsa will always be your sister and I will always be your friend. In fact, I look at you as the sister I always wanted but never had. You are kind, sweet, gentle, and beautiful and always fun to be around." He said before moving forward and softly planting a small kiss on her forehead.

Anna's tears dried up and a blush came to her cheeks, she looked at his face and saw a small smile on his face as if conforming that he was telling the truth.

"That seems about right since my parents thought of you as the son they always wanted but could never have. They thought you were brave and wise beyond your years, kind, intelligent, and most of all a great future Chief for your village and a wonderful future son-in-law. I actually looked forward to the thought of you being my brother-in-law." Anna said then gave a kind hopeful smile.

Now it was Hiccups turn to blush, " _me and Elsa? Marry?"_ Hiccup thought. "Personally I have not thought that far ahead. Me and Elsa are barely together as it is, we only see each other once every three years or so, and we stay in contact with letters and packages. We haven't even said 'I love you' yet." Hiccup responded while slowly realizing the fragile state of their relationship.

"But you love her right?" Anna asked.

"Of course I do Anna, but it is more complicated than that, to say those three words is a huge moment in a relationship and I don't want to say it nonchalantly or make it sound like it's an afterthought. The moment needs to be right and I just have to hope she says it back otherwise the relationship might be ruined." He said in a hushed nervous tone before looking out at the cloudy sky.

"From the fact that she always wears the gloves you made her and only talks to you should be a good indicator to how she feels about you." Anna countered with a small smile.

"And by the way, do you know why she always wears the gloves even when she is inside?" Anna asked innocently.

Hiccups eyes widened at the question and a thought ran through his mind remembering what Elsa had told him two years ago, " _You can't tell her anything about my powers, why the gates were closed or why I can't talk to or play with her._ " Hiccup just looked around at the courtyard before looking back at Anna. "I will tell you later, I promise. But that whole thing about not having a partner to spend time with; Anna you will eventually find someone to spend the rest of your life with. You just have to wait till you find him or he finds you." He said wanting to get away from that sensitive topic concerning Elsa's secret.

Anna just gave him a disbelieving look, "It is not like I have much of a chance with being locked away in here, only a Queen or King can give the order to open the gates and I don't see Elsa giving that order in the near future."

Hiccup thought about what Anna said, and it was true. King Agdar gave the order to close the gates and not until Elsa becomes Queen could the gates be opened again.

"Well maybe you can sneak out of the castle like what I and Elsa did over a decade ago. Though I almost died from hypothermia so sneak out on a day when it is warm." Hiccup suggested then gave a chuckle.

Anna raised a brow at Hiccups suggestion, "I could never do something like that, and I don't break rules."

Now it was Hiccups turn to raise an eyebrow at the young princess, "you don't break rules? What about the rule of no riding bicycles while inside the castle or no touching of the paintings?" Hiccup asked with a knowing smirk.

Anna blushed at being caught, "well maybe not all the rules."

"Okay then, how about you and I do something? Like taking a stroll in the forest or dancing in the Ballroom?"

"You dance?" Anna asked Hiccup in disbelief.

"Well, actually I was hoping you could teach me. There are not a lot of chances to dance to music on Berk; most of our celebrations have us getting drunk and not much else." Hiccup said while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

Anna nodded her head to his request, "okay when?"

"Later this week Anna. When I have spent enough time with Elsa to make her feel better and less depressed. But for now I wish to take a bath and then see her. I don't want to go to her smelling like a sailor." Hiccup said as he sniffed his shoulder then cringing at the odor.

"Okay, I will tell one of the servants that you need a bath" Anna said before getting up with Hiccup following her lead.

"Thanks" was all he said before giving her a small reassuring smile.

Anna just nodded her head then leaned up and kissed Hiccups cheek as a thank you for being a friend when she needed one the most. She then left Hiccup to his thoughts as she walked back toward her room her head slightly higher than before.

Hiccup stood there for a moment before asking himself, "wait a moment, why would Anna need to tell a servant that I needed a bath, wouldn't I just go to the Bath Room located at the back of the castle?" Brushing it off to just being a long and tiring day he went to his room and took out his pajamas.

While placing his belongings into their rightful spots around the old room, it was then he noticed that there was an extra door present that wasn't there the previous years. He moved to it and opened the door to reveal a medium sized water closet complete with a standalone tub in the middle of the room and pipes leading out from the floor to just inside the tub. The walls and floors were lined with fine marble and even the sinks and toilets were made of stone and porcelain. This had to be the fanciest water closet he had ever seen; he could only imagine what the Kings and Queen's water closet was like. It seemed like some of the rooms went under a renovation to give more privacy to the guest or royal. Just as he was going to explore the room more he heard a knock against this bedroom door.

He moved back into his room and opened the door to reveal a young servant girl not much older than him standing with a bucket at her side.

"Yes?" Hiccup asked perplexed as to why a woman who looked like an older Elsa but with brown hair was standing in front of him with bathing supplies.

Hiccup sadly did not put two and two together to arrive at the most reasonable outcome.

"I am here to bathe you, Sir." She said calmly and professionally.

Hiccup just stared at the girl as if she had a second head, "Umm what? Why would I need help bathing?" Hiccup asked confused.

"You are a royal. All royals have people like me to help them bathe. We draw the bath, put in the oils, help the royal into the tub and then scrub them clean. We also dry them and then clean up afterward. Plus, I was notified that you have a condition and would require extra help." She said then nodded toward Hiccups leg.

Hiccup followed her gaze and remembered he had a prosthetic foot. Sometimes he would forget about his condition since it had been two years and with the new foot, it had made life easier and less noticeable to him.

"Okay, please come in." Hiccup moved to the side and watched as the woman bent down to pick up the bucket and then went into the water closet. "Umm, may I watch you work?"

The servant looked confused, "I am from an island and have never seen a bath like this, and I usually bathe in a river or lake. Some of us even stand outside during a rainstorm and take our baths like that." Hiccup replied with a blush coming to his face.

"Whatever you wish, Sir." She replied.

"It's Hiccup, if you don't mind and what is your name?" He asked nervously.

She was setting the bucket down as he asked, "its Halle, Sir."

"That is a nice name, I believe is means 'Home Rule', if I'm not mistaken." Hiccup replied moving to sit down in the chair near the bath tub.

Halle said nothing as she got everything prepared for Hiccups bath, first corking the bath tub then turning a knob which caused water to stream out of a pipe; soon enough steam could be seen coming from the pipe. She grabbed a glass bottle from her bucket and poured some of its contents into the growing water, soon bubbles could be seen spreading across the surface of the water. Once the water reached half way up the inside of the tub, she turned the same knob the other direction and turned a different knob on. This time there was no steam coming from the water which meant it was cold. Halle then put on an apron and rolled up her sleeves as she draped a folded towel near the back of the tub to act as a pillow. After a minute or two she turned the knob off and tested the water with her finger, nodding her head she looked at him.

"It is ready Mr. Hiccup" She said then waited, "please strip down and then I will help you in."

Hiccups face went crimson at the fact that he needed to be nude in front of a woman whom he didn't really know that well. Hell, he just met her and she was going to see everything.

"Umm do you mind if I keep my under trousers on? The only woman I want to see that region is the woman I will marry in the future." He said softly as moved a hand over to his crotch region as if trying to show her what he meant.

"As you wish, Mr. Hiccup" She said then moved to gather his clothing.

"Thank you" was all he said in response as he pulled his armor and arm guards off followed by his green tunic leaving him topless. As he looked down at his torso he could see that his muscles were rippling under his skin and as he looked back up at Halle he could see a small tint of pink spreading across her cheeks. "Professional, huh?" He asked, letting his confidence get the better of him.

Halle just gave him a hard stare as she tried to get rid of her blush.

Hiccup sat back down on the chair and moved to take off his one boot. He slowly untethered the straps that clung to his prosthetic foot; after the straps were undone he twisted his foot in a counter-clock wise direction. Hearing a small snap, he pulled the foot forward and it popped off revealing his stump. He leaned forward and placed his metal foot on the floor next to the tub, as he looked down at the supports that were holding up the tub, he noticed they looked like claws and the tub was in fact a light reddish color. Hiccup leaned back into the wooden chair and untied his drawstring that held his pants together. Feeling them loosen he slid them forward till they were a lump on the floor, he blushed a little as this was the closest a woman had seen him naked before in his life.

"Are you ready Mr. Hiccup?" Halle asked as she moved to stand next to him.

"Yes" Hiccup responded as he held out his hand for Halle.

Taking a hold of his hand Halle guided him to the tub, where she instructed him to sit on the edge and swing his good foot over the side and into the water.

"Whoo, ahh" Hiccup breathed out as the hot water made contact with his skin. Now standing up Halle moved behind and told Hiccup to lean back as she moved her hands up to his upper arms and help guide him down into the water. As the last bit of his skin slid into the water, he rested his head on the folded towel.

Hiccup sighed in relief as his bum rested on the bottom and the hot water flowed into his body's cracks and crevices.

"Is the water hot enough Mr. Hiccup?"  
"It is wonderful, is this how Elsa and Anna bathe?" Hiccup asked incredibly jealous that his girlfriend and her sister got to experience this luxury. He usually bathed in a semi clean river that was frigid most of the time. As to why he took a three-minute bath.

"Yes, they usually take a bath like this once a week. We wash their hair and the process usually takes about an hour, but as of late Princess Elsa has had Gerda draw her baths for her. Leaving us to attend to Princess Anna mostly, you are actually the first guest the castle has seen in many years." Halle said as she got a glass bottle out of the bucket and poured the contents in to her right hand.

"Are you ready for me to wash your hair?"

"Yes, is there anything you need me to do?" Hiccup asked.

Halle nodded, "Submerge yourself under the water to get your hair wet."

Hiccup nodded as he slid under the water line completely and stayed under for a few seconds coming up with his hair clinging to his forehead and neck. He moved to wipe away the water from his eyes but Halle pressed a towel into his face with her left hand. Wiping the water away from his eyes helped immensely to see.

"Thank you, Halle." Hiccup said as he blinked his eyes a few times.

"You are welcome Mr. Hiccup, now sit up and I will wash your hair." Hiccup did as she instructed and a few moments later his hair was filled with white soap and bubbles. She brought over a bucket of fresh warm water and poured it over Hiccups head rinsing the soap out.

"Please sit on the edge of the tub and I will scrub you" Halle said as she helped Hiccup into a sitting position. Hiccup wobbled for a few seconds before gaining stability. Halle took a sponge and squirted some soap onto it then began to scrub nearly inch of Hiccups body except for his manly region down south. After he was scrubbed down Hiccup slid back into the water and rinsed himself.

Halle bent down and submerged her arm into the water to uncork the tub. Hiccup watched as the water level decreased and so did his body temperature; he felt the warm air of the room wrap itself around his body. Hiccup placed each of his hands on either side of the tub to lift himself onto the edge of the tub to swing his leg over the side, Halle then led him over to the chair where a towel was waiting. As he got settled into the chair Halle came around with another towel and started to pat him dry. Hiccup took the opportunity to use the towel he was sitting on to dry his legs and waist.

"Is there anything else I can do for you Mr. Hiccup?" Halle asked as she picked up her supplies and placed them back into the bucket.

"Yes, what time do the chefs go home? In case I want to eat something or get some food for Elsa." Hiccup asked as he pulled his pajama pants on with the left side being shorter for his prosthetic. The drawstring was knotted and he bent over to pick up his long sleeved night shirt.

"They go home at nine o'clock, Mr. Hiccup. You have two hours before the kitchen closes." She replied as she looked out the window at the setting sun.

Hiccup thought back to his conversation with Anna about the dance lesson. "Say Halle, do you know how to play any instruments?" He asked taking a shot in the dark.

Halle looked at him strangely, "yes. I know how to play the violin and one of the cleaning staff knows how to use the piano. Does that answer your questions?"

"Actually I have one more. What is that seat in the corner?" Hiccup said as he pointed to a white porcelain seat with a white bowl and string hanging above it.

"That is a flush down toilet."

Hiccup looked at it for a moment, "how do I use it?"

Halle didn't speak for a moment, these toilets were just installed last year and were now making their way into the city. They were not as fancy as the ones in the castle but they served their purpose well enough.

"Well, you first untie your drawers and sit down onto the seat, where you then relieve yourself and once you have wiped yourself clean with the wool, you pull down that string which releases water into the toilet which flushes your excrement away. After that is done you wash your hands with soap and water in the sink and dry them with the hand towel. Is there anything else?" Halle asked a little flustered at having to teach a man on how to use the toilet; she just hoped he didn't ask her to clean him afterward.

"No and thank you for everything Halle. I hope to see you around the castle sometime over the next two weeks." He said as he pulled his leg on and secured it into position. At night the prosthetic was less secure because there were no clamps locking it into position on the pants, but it was safe enough to walk around before he took it off to get into bed.

"You are most welcome, Mr. Hiccup. And perhaps I will see you again if you decide to take another bath." She replied with a smile before leaving the bathroom and then the bed room. Hiccup heard a soft click knowing he was alone.

"I suppose it is time Hiccup. Time to see how Elsa is fairing; hell she is probably crying. I cried my eyes out when I got here and she just held me in her arms and told me to get everything out. Time to be the supportive partner you need to be." He said to no one in particular as he stood up with a small wobble.

As he opened the door and looked across to see Elsa's shut door, he cast a gaze down at both ends of the hallway to see if anyone was looking. The hallway was deserted like always. Moving out of the room and taking three steps forward he arrived at his destination. Hiccup's closed fist hovered in front of the door ready to knock. " _Breathe Hiccup, you are just going to comfort your girlfriend nothing to be scared about. It's not like she will freeze you or anything_ " Hiccup thought to himself with a chuckle before stopping " _wait a moment would she freeze me?_ " He thought again eyes wide.

Hiccup shook the nervousness from his mind and knocked on the door, waiting a moment before knocking again. "Go away Anna" he heard Elsa say through the door. Hiccup realized Elsa did not know he had arrived. Instead of knocking on the door and announcing himself he grew bold and turned the handle downward to open the door.

Pushing the door inward, the room revealed that it had a dusting of frost on it. Snowflakes hung in the air as if stopped in time, the windows and ceiling even had frost on them. Taking a step into the frosted room Hiccup felt the temperature drop a few degrees, his gaze fell to Elsa's form lying underneath the covers on the bed with her back facing him. His new found boldness led him to the side of the bed that faced the door, turning around and sitting on the bed he detached his metal foot and laid it across the bed side table. He pulled his legs onto the bed and snuggled underneath the covers and very gently wrapped his body around Elsa's. His right arm brought her body against his, his leg intertwined in between hers and his chest against her back. Hiccup pushed his nose against the back of her head and breathed in relishing her scent.

"Hiccup?" Elsa asked curious and afraid at the person whom she hoped was her beau.

"Hello beautiful" he replied genuinely.

After hearing Hiccup's voice Elsa turned in his arms to face him. Seeing his kind and gentle face Elsa relaxed and snuggled into his embrace. "I missed you so much" Elsa said as she breathed in Hiccups scent, mint and pine forest.

"And I missed you more" Hiccup said then pulled his hand free from her embrace and traced Elsa's cheek; she shivered from the touch. As his and Elsa's head laid upon the pillow they just stared at one another being happy that they were together once again. Slowly Hiccup inched forward and captured her lips with his, he sighed in relief when Elsa returned the kiss. Elsa wrapped her arms around his back and brought them closer together, their chests now touching. Hiccup shivered from then closeness of their bodies; slowly he pulled back from the kiss.

"Hiccup what is wrong?" Elsa asked confused at the sudden end of the kissing, a blush creeping upon her face

"Nothing. I just wanted to try something new, if that is okay with you?" He asked sheepishly

"Sure, do as you wish Hiccup." She replied with a motivating smile.

Not bothering with a reply he simply recaptured her lips and brought his right hand to the small of her back before slipping his tongue into her mouth. Hiccup turned his face to the side so he could move more of his tongue with greater ease. Elsa naturally pulled back from the foreign move and brought a hand up to wipe away the excess saliva from her lips.

"Hiccup, what kind of kiss was that?" she asked incredulously, stunned that her beau would pull that strange move.

Blushing Hiccup put Elsa at elbows reach just in case she wanted to smack him, she wouldn't be able to. "It is how the French kiss their lovers." He replied innocently.

Elsa raised an eyebrow, "oh and how would you know this Hiccup?" She asked as she then narrowed her gaze at him.

Hiccup gulped at the question "umm, a book told me." He said then his nose twitched.

Seeing that he was lying to her, her gaze turned into a hard stare. "Hiccup tell me the truth, now."

"Astrid kissed me." Hiccup replied.

"I'm sorry?" Her tone was drenched with genuine confusion.

"Astrid kissed me."

Her face darkened and her tone followed suit. "Where were you?"

"We were in the fields and I had gotten her dragon under control when she experienced a small dose of Dragon root. Its causes most dragons to become aggressive and only through constant calming can a dragon recover either that or remove the root. I thought Astrid was coming over to thank me, but she pulled me to her and kissed me that way." Hiccup replied casting his eyes downward, knowing he had done wrong.

"I see." Elsa responded.

Her calmness made the hairs prickle on his arm and his palms sweat. He felt like he did when he came upon a new dragon for the first time. "You do?"

"Yes."

She then grabbed his shoulders, pushed him down against the bed moving on top of him, and then kissed him. The kiss showed no anger even though he knew she felt it. It was warm; wonderful it was . . . her kissing. It was a kiss that only his girlfriend could give him. His arms moved up and wrapped around her neck and his lips moved against hers. Her hands rested on either side of him. She then inserted her tongue into his mouth, shocking him. His eye lids snapped open and he looked at how her gaze bore into his. He opened his mouth more to allow more of her tongue in.

Then she pulled away. "That was better?"

He blinked and one eyebrow arched. "Of course it was! I never kissed her back!"

"Good." She then rolled off of him, but still stayed in his arms. After a moment's hesitation she continued, "Don't see her again."

"What?"

"You heard me. Don't see her again. She clearly doesn't care that you are spoken for and she will try to get you to like her at every possible moment. So, I am asking you to stay away from her."

Hiccup didn't speak for a moment trying to figure out if her request was even possible.

"No. I'm sorry Elsa but I can't honor your request. Astrid, while annoying is an important part of my team and second in command of the dragon training academy. I just can't start not talking to her, sooner or later she will say something to my dad and he will make me confront my problem. So it is better just to tell her that I don't want her making any advances toward me and it is best she knows that, so she knows she is not gaining any traction." Hiccup replied resolutely.

Elsa turned her back toward him and looked out the large window at the mountain in the background

"Are you angry at me?" He asked

"No. I'm just wondering where she lives."

He buried his face at the back of her neck and chuckled. "You aren't going to freeze her are you?"

He felt Elsa tense up and then he realized what he had said. "Elsa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Hiccup knew Elsa was thinking about her sister. "Elsa, I'm also sorry you lost your parents, they were the kindest people I have ever met." He felt Elsa start to shake so he turned her around in his arms to find her softly crying, but the tears froze halfway down her face. Stunned at how she was trying to control her powers that were leaking out he kissed the frozen tears which turned back to liquid, he then wiped them away with his hand.

"I know you didn't mean it like that Hiccup, it's just I already lost my sister and now I have lost my parents. I am now truly alone." She said then burst into tears.

He immediately wrapped his arms around her and cradled her head into the crook of his neck; her hands fisted his shirt and tried to pull him closer to her. He allowed himself to be pulled into her embrace; her tears flowed freely onto his shirt and the pillow they were lying upon.

After many tremors that flowed through her body and into his, the crying died down.

"Feel better Elsa?" she heard Hiccup say gently

"Yes and thank you for holding me, this feels nice." She added as she snuggled once again into his embrace.

"You are most welcome and Elsa you must realize that you are never truly alone. For I will always be by your side even when I am not here; as long as my heart beats I will be by your side physically and in spirit. You just have to believe that and you will never be alone. And Anna wants to be your sister again; she asked me why you don't talk to her anymore. I had to lie to her because you still haven't told her the truth yet." Hiccup said as he rubbed her back with his hand

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that I would tell her why you don't speak to her next week. This will give me time to come up with a good lie which will actually have some truth to it so it sounds convincing." He said vehemently.

"I know and I'm sorry Hiccup, it's just every time I come close to telling her my powers start to act up and I leave. I can't even knock on her door before the ground would start to freeze." She told him feeling humiliated and embarrassed at her cowardice.

Hiccup let out a pent up breath of air that had been holding in. "I understand Elsa, don't feel bad. When you can control your powers appropriately please do and tell Anna the truth, before it comes out in the worst way."

"I can promise you that Hiccup, you have my word."

"Good, are you hungry?" He asked after looking at the now night sky through the window and then hearing the eighth chime from a nearby wall clock.

Before she was able to answer her stomach growled long and loud. As it continued Elsa face lit up with a huge blush and Hiccup tried to contain a laugh.

Once it had settled, Hiccup spoke up "I will take that as a Yes", and then laughed.

Pulling out of the vice like grip of Elsa Hiccup sat up and put on his foot, then pushed off of the bed and stood up.

"I will go to the kitchen and ask the chefs to make us something, have any requests for desert?" he asked with a smile.

Elsa stared at the man that was her future husband but he didn't know that yet. She blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "You."

As Hiccup realized what she had said, his face turned a dark shade of crimson. It was then Elsa also realized what she had said, "I mean chocolate, hot chocolate if they have it." She replied quickly.

After a moment of awkward silence, he spoke again.

"Chocolate it is. See you in a little while." He replied before opening the door and closing it behind him.

As he made his way to the kitchen he stopped to lean against a wall, "my God does that woman know how to make me feel weird inside." Hiccup said then thought about the cold ocean hoping that the tightness in his trousers would decrease. He was not used to visuals plaguing his mind that were the kind that married couples mostly likely had. Taking a deep breath then releasing he pushed off the wall and continued his trek toward the Kitchen failing to see a flash of strawberry colored hair move around the corner.

As Hiccup shut the door, Elsa turned and groaned into her pillow embarrassed at what she had said. More and more often she dreamt of what she and Hiccup would do at their wedding and sometimes on their wedding night. Turning back around to lie on her pillow she smiled to herself at what she and Hiccup had experienced only a short while ago. That type of kissing was foreign to her until he had initiated it, though it would be forever marred by the fact that Astrid had kissed him like that first and not her. In truth she did want to freeze Astrid just so she couldn't come near her love.

" _Love?"_ She thought for a moment _"Yes, love. I love Hiccup and I hope he loves me. I wonder if I should tell him that before he goes back to Berk. He deserves to know how I truly feel about him and maybe then I could tell him about the marriage contract. Should I tell him though? I mean his father should have told him by now, but it's clear that he hasn't. No, his father must tell him. Those were one of the rules of the contract and I don't want to break it otherwise he could marry Astrid since the contract would be voided. Until then I will just hold my tongue, well in a non-physical way I mean."_ Elsa thought then gave a smirk which slowly went away at remembering that she would never see her parents again. They would have been so happy to see the two of them marry. She just had to hope that they were in heaven and were happy that she and Hiccup were together. She would pray tonight; it was the least she could do.

* * *

After staring at the moon for more than an hour she heard a knock. Moving towards the door but before she opened it she called out, "yes, who is it?"

"It is Hiccup, do you mind opening the door. I have a tray of food and I can't get the door open." Hiccup said through the wooden door.

She moved forward and turned the handle and pulled to reveal her lovely beau with a tray full of steak and vegetables and two cups of hot chocolate.

"With compliments from the chef and his staff. Once I told him that you were hungry, he relit the ovens and went into the freezer to pull out these steaks. He even had his staff make fresh chocolate just for you. I must say you have some dedicated people who are willing to follow you once you become queen." He replied jollily.

"Well that is a thought to consider when the time comes for me to be crowned." Elsa said in a faraway voice.

Hiccup placed the tray down on a table sitting underneath the large window; he lit the gas lamp and seated himself waiting for Elsa. She sat down and Hiccup divvied up the food. After a few moments of silence Hiccup asked, "So, how is your steak?"

Elsa looked up and after she finished chewing, "it is very good. I have not had such a fine meal with good company in a while. Most of my meals become bland after a while since the chef doesn't change the menu; it is just the same variety day after day."

Hiccup looked at his girlfriend and saw that she was becoming bored with her life, " _well who wouldn't be? She hasn't gone outside the castle walls in over two years. She has no idea about what treasures lay outside these walls. Her people, fresh air, new foods and more are only a few hundred feet away. Maybe I can sneak her outside for a ride on Toothless, though we don't have a good record with sneaking out, I nearly froze to death the last time."_ He thought as he chewed on a piece of broccoli.

"How are things with you on Berk?" He heard Elsa ask

"Oh, they are good. We have discovered new islands, dragons and enemies. There are so many unpopulated islands around the archipelago and no one has claimed them yet, maybe Berk can become a Kingdom in the future. I and the gang have our own dragon academy where we learn and teach others about dragons and how to ride them. We also discovered dozens of new species of dragons and they…" He said to her with enthusiasm.

Elsa who had been listening intently tensed up at the word 'enemies'. "Wait a moment, what new enemies?" She said concerned that Hiccup was putting himself in danger.

"Oh. Just a few hundred men who have tried to kill me, you know nothing dangerous or anything." He said quickly trying to move past that issue.

"Hiccup, slow down and tell me the truth." Elsa replied narrowing her gaze at Hiccup.

Hiccup released a pent up breath and nodded his head, "well, Dagur the Deranged is Chief of the Berserkers, a tribe of troublesome Vikings living in the Uglithug Territories. He had first come to Berk to renew a peace treaty between the Berserkers and our tribe. We were expecting his father Oswald the Agreeable, but Dagur told us he had been 'retired'. We pressured him to sign the peace treaty, but all he wanted to do was insult his father and hunt dragons. Fearful that he would find and want to kill our dragons we hid them and then staged a dragon attack on Berk. Dagur fled Berk and said to sign the treaty in his name." Hiccup took a breath to drink some hot chocolate then continued.

"Months later I and my crew were on an island training to be able to fight and survive without our dragons when I came across Dagur and his camp. Once again he was hunting dragons, long story short he found out we trained dragons and he attacked me. I fought back and defeated him barely. Then after that he tried to invade Berk and took control over the Outcasts who were commanded by Alvin the Treacherous, another Viking who had a bone to settle with Berk. So now he had the Outcasts and the Berserkers under his command. Alvin who we all believed was killed by Dagur rescued Snotlout when I had suspended him from the academy for nearly getting Astrid killed during an exercise. He had flown out to a deserted island and was knocked unconscious by a Whispering Death." Elsa's eye began to twitch at the thought of Hiccup doing battle, interesting how he didn't mention any of this in his letters.

"Alvin arrived on Berk and returned Snotlout to us unharmed. He tried to propose a deal with Stoick about reclaiming his island from Dagur and having the Outcasts ally themselves to Berk, we refused. After that Dagur invaded Berk again and took my father hostage, when I went to rescue him the plan failed and I thought it was all over. Thankfully reinforcements arrived and Alvin knocked out Dagur as payback for taking his island and tribe. Even Alvin and my father made up and we are at peace with the Outcasts I believe. Dagur on the other hand, we believe he was deposed but there are unconfirmed reports that he is still Chief of the Berserkers. So all in all, not much happened in those two years since you visited Berk." Hiccup said as he tried to downplay the seriousness of the matter.

Elsa's mouth was hanging open slightly and her right eye was really twitching, "not much happened!" She yelled at him, "you were nearly killed half a dozen times, and how dare you try to downplay the seriousness of this matter Hiccup. I need you alive to be able to call you my beau and yet you nearly get yourself and your team killed on a monthly basis. I know you want to explore but you must be smart in how you do things." Elsa said tensely, getting angry in how stupid he acted all for sake of exploration.

"Smart? I do act smart Elsa. You should see how the other members in my team act before I come up with a plan; most of them don't think, they attack. And at least I have the courage to do something about my problems instead of hiding behind a door!" He yelled back, but then put a hand up to his mouth realizing what he had said.

Silence descended upon the room for a moment.

Elsa looked at him angrily for a moment then got up from the chair and walked to the door of her water closet with her back to him. "I think it is time you go to bed, I need to sleep and digest everything."

"Elsa, I'm sorry about what I said. It was in the heat of the moment" Hiccup said getting up and moving towards the bathroom door. He moved to rest a hand on her shoulder but she moved away after he made contact with her skin.

"Is that what you really think Hiccup? That I don't have the courage to tell my sister about my powers?" She replied back to him then turning around to look at him in the face.

"I believe that I am acting courageously because I am protecting my sister from myself and even though I want to tell her but I am too afraid that I might hurt her again. So I'm sorry if I am not using your definition of the word courageous." She said vehemently.

Hiccup nodded his head, "you are absolutely right Elsa. Courage does come in different ways and forms. So I am sorry again about what I said, I want you to have your sister back with minimal effort or pain. I just wanted you to be happy." He said softly.

Elsa nodded her head at this, she wanted the same thing too, but just didn't have that kind of courage just yet, but one day she would tell Anna the truth. Hiccup saw her nodding and moved forward to pull her into a hug. He brought his arms around her and kissed her neck, trying to show how much he cared about her.

Minutes ticked by as they held one another in a warming embrace.

Elsa laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes letting Hiccup draw random circles on her back with his fingers. She had every right to be angry at Hiccup, his insult cut deep, but it was stupid to stay angry at him. They could be doing so much more with their time than arguing or staying away from each other.

Hiccup gently swayed them back and forth in a gentle manner as if he was rocking a crib or Toothless to sleep. Speaking of Toothless, he would have to go and check on him tomorrow, to make sure he was okay living in the forest. He then heard Elsa let out a yawn, before he felt more of her weight on his body.

"You ready for bed Elsa?"

Too tired to speak, she just nodded her head. "Well you better change into your night wear first, and while you are doing that I will fix your bed." Hiccup said then pulled out of the embrace.

Elsa moved into the bathroom taking her nightgown with her. Hiccup meanwhile moved toward the bed and fixed the sheets and smoothed them out. Once everything was settled he got into the bed and detached his metal foot, dropping it onto the floor with a soft thud. Leaning back against the head board he waited for Elsa to finish her nightly duties. " _Odin's beard Hiccup you are taking an enormous gamble; it is one thing to slip into the bed with a woman while she is awake. It is another thing completely to sleep with her in her own bed. Well, it is not like we are going to do anything, besides we will be fully clothed_." He said to himself in his mind nonchalantly. He just hopped no one notice that he wasn't sleeping in his bed tonight, the scandal that could arise was the last thing Elsa needed at the moment.

He heard water flowing then after a few minutes the water stopped and Elsa moved out of the bathroom in a long light blue nightgown leaving nothing to the imagination. Her hair was let down and hung down around her the top of where her breasts would be. Hiccup blushed lightly as he saw her in the least amount of clothing he had ever seen her in.

Elsa raised an eyebrow and blushed too, bringing her arms up and crossing them over her chest, "umm Hiccup, what are you doing in my bed?" She asked as she made her way over to the empty spot of the bed near the window.

"I was waiting for you to get in. Elsa you just lost both of your parents, I do not want your night to be haunted by demons. I will stay with you tonight so you can sleep in peace." He said gently then folded back the covers and held them up so she could slip in.

Elsa's cheeks turned bright red from the implication that he wanted to sleep with her, it was one thing to be held in a loving embrace for a short period and it was another thing entirely to be held all night.

Elsa just nodded her head and slipped beneath the covers. Hiccup brought the covers up to shoulder high before he leaned over and kissed the right side of her forehead. He then settled in behind her and pulled her into his embrace, with his arm snaking around her stomach and his legs entwining with hers. Elsa felt her body become hot from the close contact of their bodies, then she felt her neck heat up as Hiccup kissed the back of her neck before gently saying 'goodnight.' Elsa just nodded her head again and closed her eyes, slowly falling asleep to the rhythm of Hiccups heart which she could feel through her back. The last thought to go through her mind that night was " _I could get used to this_."

* * *

 **Additional Authors Notes** : Sorry, but Elsa's parents still had to die, otherwise all of this would have been impossible.


	11. Fun and New Discoveries

**Authors Notes:** Once again thank you all for those of you who have favorited, left a review or added this story to their alerts. I have been working at my job for two weeks now, and I am tired. Full time is no joke, when I get home I eat dinner, study a little then go to bed. I have little time to read or play video games. Respect to anyone who works full time; I now have mad respect for my mother. Writing on Saturday is really the only day I can really work on my story. Working in a hospital is mind numbing, foot aching pain, but that paycheck though makes it worth it.

This is the last guaranteed chapter, I do not know when I will be able to get a new chapter out. I hope to be able to get one out in a month, but no promises.

By the way this chapter has earned a **strong T-rating** for implied stuff (cough, cough).

You all have been asking for a chapter with Toothless in it, and now you have gotten your wish.

Drop a review if you have the time to ask any questions or to express your feelings about the latest chapter. I will try to answer your questions via pm in a timely manner.

Thank you all and have a nice day.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 _Fun and New Discoveries_

Elsa awoke to the feeling of her face being warmed up by the gentle beams of the sun piercing the glass of her window. She could also feel the hairs on the back of her neck moving in rhythm with Hiccup's breathing, exhale moving down toward her back and inhale moving further up her neck. This loving embrace felt wonderful and she felt five years younger with no stress or headache. She felt like she could spend an eternity in this position. No worries, no pain, just happiness. Elsa never wanted Hiccup to leave her side, if they married today she would be the happiest woman in the world and would only hope that Hiccup could keep her secrets hidden till she was ready to tell the world. Would she have to tell the world? Elsa thought for a moment.

 _"_ _Can I get away with just telling Anna and not my Kingdom? Though with Anna's mouth then everyone would surely know if given the time. And then people would fear me for being different, and not just my people but different countries and kingdoms as well. They tend to try and kill things they do not understand or fear, just look at Hiccup and his dragons. They fought dragons for centuries because they didn't understand the true reason they were attacking Berk. Centuries because they feared being destroyed themselves. It is best I keep my secret hidden a little bit longer, once I become Queen and smooth everything out, only then can I tell her."_

It was then Elsa heard Hiccup talking to himself _,_ "Elsa, Elsa" he groaned out.

He then pulled her waist toward his body and wrapped his right leg around her, Elsa's face went crimson knowing he was dreaming about her in a scandalous way. This continued on for several minutes till his groans calmed down, she let him have his way for it would most likely be a few years before they actually did that sort of stuff. Besides she dreamt about him in a similar manner and she would not want to be interrupted by someone during the process.

After an hour when the sun was above the mountain top but not at its zenith did Hiccup finally awaken. He blinked his eyes, tugged Elsa further into his grasp and drove his face into her back to get away from the bright rays reflecting through the window. He inhaled and smelled lavender, his most favorite smell in the world, it was then that he noticed how strong his hold was and loosened his grip. He heard Elsa suck in a deep breath then exhaled, he turned Elsa around to find her already awake and smiling at him.

"Enjoy your sleep?" She asked then gave a beautiful smile; it with the sun in the background made her look like the goddess Freyja.

Hiccup smiled back and nodded.

"Yes, thank you for asking" he replied and gently brought his hand up to her face to push a string of hair behind her ear, then rested his open palm on her cheek.

She pressed her cheek into his hand, "So what did you dream about?"

Hiccup thought back to his dream and then remembered nearly everything, the kisses, the touches and other stuff. His face became pink and cast his eyes down in embarrassment. He then felt his body react to their positioning and he just reacted instinctively.

His eyes snapped back to Elsa's, he then pushed her onto her back and mounted her.

Elsa released a gasp from Hiccup's sudden move and looked up at Hiccup as he settled his waist between her legs and his hands came to rest beside her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her cheek then her forehead and finally her lips. As he kissed her, he settled his weight slowly onto her as to not to crush her. Thankfully Hiccup was lean and not bloated with muscles. His hands were soon caressing her shoulders and her sides, he drew circles into her nightgown with his thumbs.

Slowly sliding his hand behind her back and pushing her into him so we could feel more of her. His breathing slowed as he moved his head to the side of her neck, he felt Elsa taking deep breaths as he did this. He kissed her ear and she shivered, he grew bolder and kissed her neck, she shivered again. Hiccup then started to suck a vein on her neck, he felt Elsa move her hands into his hair and press his head into her neck as if telling him to continue his work.

He smiled as he continued his work on her neck, making her gasp and shiver, he felt powerful and good for being dominative for once instead of submissive like he was in the past. He wanted more, he wanted to feel more power over Elsa. He stopped his work on her neck and brought his face back up to Elsa's face, so he could look at her again.

As Hiccup's lips lifted from her neck, she opened her eyes to see Hiccups face, his eyes were glazed over as if something had taken over him. It was then she felt Hiccup right hand leave her back and slowly come around to rest on her stomach where the buttons to her night gown laid. She watched as he slowly moved the button thru the small hole revealing more of her skin, it was then she realized that he wanted more of her body, and not that she didn't want him to, she just wanted to wait till their wedding night for that sort of love. She had to stop him before he got carried away.

"Hiccup wait. I think we need to stop; we are getting ahead of ourselves." She said as he continued his quest.

"Hiccup, I demand you stop. I don't want to continue; I want breakfast instead." Her voice laced with urgency. He still continued on unbuttoning her gown, he was nearly at her sternum and would be able to see her breasts if he continued. Elsa slowly feared what would happen if he continued on this path. She felt her powers grow in her hands.

"Hiccup I demand you stop!" She yelled and felt her powers go thru her hands and out onto Hiccup's shoulders where her hands laid.

Hiccup felt cold; cold he had not felt in many years, it was then he noticed Elsa's face and the fear in her eyes. He looked at his shoulders and the ice that had formed around them.

"Elsa? What happened?" he asked confused.

For some reason he couldn't remember anything past him kissing Elsa's neck.

"You wouldn't stop when I asked you, so my powers kind of froze your shoulders to get your attention. Are you okay?" she asked.

Hiccup slowly pushed himself up and off Elsa and then sat at the end of the bed.

"I think so, what happened exactly? I can't remember the last few moments."

Elsa slowly sat up and grabbed the bed sheets to wrap around her because her gown had opened up. "Well, you basically tried to open my night gown up and when I asked you to stop, you didn't. After a second time to ask you stop, my powers took over and froze your shoulders" she replied his face flushed with embarrassment.

"I…I am sorry Elsa; I don't know what took over me. I think my hormones got the better of me and essentially took over my mind. I am so sorry, but could you just slap me next time? That way it would be less painful and easier to move afterward." He replied with a small smile trying to ease the tension in the room.

"I suppose so, just try and control yourself around me. I know you care deeply for me, but I am not ready for _that_ yet." She said as more color rose to her cheeks.

Hiccup didn't say anything for a while, he just nodded his head and moved to open the window. After opening a small window for some air, he was able to break the ice off his shoulders and toss the pieces out the window. After disposing of all the ice and closing the window, he slowly moved toward his beau. He pressed his lips to her head for a moment then moved back. "I will get us some breakfast, while you change." He smiled and moved to attach his foot that had been resting on a nearby chair. After making sure it was secure he made his way out of the room, a small click announcing that the door had closed behind him.

Elsa fell back onto her pillow and groaned, while what happened before the freeze felt amazing, she just wasn't ready for that type of affection yet. She wanted to hear those three certain words from him before they did that sort of kissing again. That way she knew that she was his and he was hers and no one would be able to break that bond. Well, as long as she had a say in the matter anyway. She felt silly about wanting to hear 'I love you', but for some reason she believed that hearing those words took their relationship to a new level or put them into an area that made them untouchable.

She brought her hands up to her face and closed her eyes, breathing in and releasing a massive breath. The sheet fell down onto her lap and felt the warm air slowly flew across her skin reminding her of her state of dress. Looking down and grabbing the sides of her gown and pressed them together she moved off the bed and into the bathroom to wash her face.

After doing so, she moved behind the privacy screen to put on her closet and then selected a dress to wear. After making sure all the buttons of her grey dress were secure she slipped on her socks and slippers. As she was fixing her hair in front of the mirror she noticed a red marking on her neck where Hiccup had _kissed_ her.

"Hmm, my first kiss marking." It was then she remembered what her mother had said to her about coming back to find markings on her neck. "At least I don't have to worry about embarrassing myself in front of them." Her gaze fell downward and she sat down on her chair realizing that her parents weren't ever coming back.

"My God, they are really gone." She said as she felt sadness creep into her chest. Slowly ice moved up the walls and tears fell off her cheeks. She was now alone to try and control her powers and soon Hiccup would leave and she wouldn't see him again for another three years. She brought her hands to hold her in a small imitation of a hug so she wouldn't feel so alone.

Moments later she heard a knock followed by Hiccup hugging her from behind and hearing him say "I'm here, I'm here. You are not alone now. Just relax and breathe." She did as he asked and took comfort in his presence, "It is just… I realized that they are truly gone and won't be coming back. I had pushed nearly everyone away so I wouldn't hurt them and even though I didn't want them near me, I still wanted them to be with me so I knew I existed. Uggh, I don't understand what I am saying." She groaned as she rested her head on Hiccup's shoulder.

"I think I understand. You pushed people away to protect them from yourself, but you still wanted them to love you so you wouldn't feel exclusive or that you didn't fade into oblivion." He said as he rubbed her arms in a comforting manner.

"Are you ready for breakfast? I brought waffles." He said in a sing song voice, trying to elevate her mood.

Elsa nodded her head with a small smile and Hiccup helped her to the table.

They sat and ate in silence, once they were done they turned to watch the clouds go by.

It was then Hiccup remembered Toothless.

"Hey Elsa, want to do something fun?" Hiccup asked with a small grin.

He looked toward Elsa who continued to stare out the window, a bored expression on her face.

"It depends Hiccup. What did you have in mind?" She asked gently.

"Well, I was thinking of taking you on a flight with Toothless, you two have never been properly introduced and he would love to take you above the clouds." Hiccup asked while itching his hand underneath the table. There was a high likeliness that she would say no and there would be no room for discussion.

Elsa turned her head to look at her beau who looked nervous and fearful of rejection.

"I don't know Hiccup, that is nice of you to ask, but the chances of someone seeing me on a dragon would be too high. Plus, it would cause major problems for me in the future having to explain to my people that my beau has dragons but are no threat to them whatsoever. It is just too much right now." She responded with a political tone.

Hiccup's smile turned into a frown before he turned it into a mischievous smile which he did not allow her to see.

"It's just that Astrid has been begging me to take her up on a private flight like the one I accidentally took her on three years ago. I told her no, since it would be a little inappropriate that I take a girl who is not my girlfriend above the clouds plus for some reason she always wants to do it in the evening for some reason. Something about how it is lovelier at dusk, that's all." Hiccup replied looking glumly, eyes drooping downward.

He could see the gears in Elsa's mind start to turn as soon as he said the words 'Astrid' and 'lovelier'. He also saw a small twitch in her right eye, but it soon went away. Elsa turned her head slowly as she heard those two distinct words, she narrowed her eyes at Hiccup. "Let's go" was all she said as she stood up and made her way into her closet to change into something warmer.

Hiccup stood up and moved into his own room to grab his flying gear, a small smile crossing his face as he snapped on the suit and made sure everything was secure. " _Manipulation is the last thing I wanted to use against Elsa, but she needs to go outside and live a little_." He thought as he turned the door handle down and pulled said door toward him he could see Elsa poking her head out of her room to make sure the hallway was clear. He nodded his head toward her and reached out to grab her gloved hand, a gesture she accepted. Hiccup took the hallways less traveled by the occasional Guard patrol or servant carrying supplies from place to place.

Elsa was trying to make sure her leather boots made no noise as she walked on the marble flooring. It was more likely that they would be caught because of Hiccups metal foot for it would make more noise than her leather soft shoes. They took a back door out of the extended wall of the castle and waited till the wall Guards had their backs turned before they dashed into the forest and up the hill.

Only after moving past a row of trees and running through a bush did they finally stop.

"Having fun yet Elsa?" Hiccup asked as he caught his breath, the adrenaline of almost being caught always made him feel more alive.

"No, why would I be having fun? We are out of the castle and… we are out of the castle" Elsa voice faded away as she realized this was the first time she had stepped out of the castle since she went to Berk. This was different though, this was her own kingdom's forest and it was also the first time she had been in this forest since that night her and Hiccup got lost and she discovered her powers. Elsa looked down at her hands and flexed them as she remembered that night, so much had changed since that night, some good and some bad.

"Elsa are you ready to head farther in?" She heard Hiccup ask as he stood near an old tree.

"Yes, I am ready. I was just thinking."

"Don't think too much about the past Elsa, it will cause you to wrinkle faster and I want to keep you beautiful as long as possible." He replied with a knowing smile.

Her eyes widened at the fact that he knew what she was thinking, she was about to speak but Hiccup held up his hand to stop her.

"I know you were thinking about that night from the face you made. It was the same one you gave when you were telling me about your sister that night at the cove."

Hiccup moved toward her and captured her lips for a small kiss. "Come on we have only a few hours before they will deliver lunch to our doors and notice we are gone." He said as he pulled away, retaking her hand and guiding her deeper into the countryside. She smiled at his caring attitude toward her. " _He always cared about me_." She thought.

After nearly a half an hour they had found the small cove that Hiccup left Toothless in. Hiccup spotted his dragon curled up under a tree sleeping again.

"Hey buddy, care to meet someone special?"

Toothless opened his eyes to see the same woman he had seen back on his home island nearly three years ago though this time she was in a dark purple dress and looked a little scared. Not only did she look scared she smelled nervous.

Toothless moved to sniff Elsa whom instantly moved behind Hiccup as the dragon revealed its true size. Nearly three times her length and over five times her width not including the wings, the dragon really was massive; she could only imagine what he weighed. Toothless pressed on moving past Hiccup to sniff Elsa who was pushed back against a tree. Elsa could feel her fear and powers growing.

Hiccup moved in between the two pushing Toothless back a ways and then took Elsa's hand and extended it outwards.

"Now Elsa to gain Toothless' trust you must let him come to you as he will put his head up against your hand and that will show that he trusts you. Just stand still and don't be nervous, he won't do anything to you."

"Okay, Hiccup" Elsa replied nervously.

Toothless moved around Elsa looking her up and down sniffing occasionally, then finally looked into her eyes seeing if she would blink, she did not. He also looked to see if there were any mischievous thoughts behind her eyes. There were none, but something smelled different about this human that no one else had. She smelled of winter even though that coldness was long gone. Could he trust this human with his brother? Thinking it over he made his decision. Slowly but surely he moved his head under her extended hand. Elsa's nervous face was replaced with a small smile.

"He trusts you, go on touch him if you want." Hiccup replied enthusiastically, his best friend and his sweetheart were now friends, sort of. This was a major win in his life book. Hiccup watched as Elsa brought both of her hands to Toothless' head and slowly touched and ran her fingers along the smooth center part of his head to the rough edge of his jaw extending to his ears. There were many spikes shaped like a fish's teeth that divided the left from the right side of his head. Elsa gazed into the black pools of the dragon's eyes, seeming to get lost in their oblivion. Elsa then moved her right hand to just behind his ear and started to scratch, a move that caused Toothless to move more of his head toward Elsa's touch. Hiccup moved forward and scratched just underneath his friends' jaw which resulted in the dragon collapsing to the ground.

"What the?" Elsa asked stunned that this massive dragon suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Hiccup, what did I do?" She asked frantically, afraid that she had hurt Toothless by mistake. She dropped to her knees, but didn't touch Toothless; afraid that she would hurt him further.

Hiccup smiled at Elsa and moved her to kneel by his side, he brought her hand to where Toothless' heart would be. Under her finger tips she felt a massive heart beating, moving blood and life to and fro. "Everything is alright Elsa, if you itch behind his ear and scratch a certain point under his jaw, he will pass out. He rather enjoys it." Hiccup smiled at the fact that she had shown concern for his best friend, he removed his hand from hers and brought it up to her face to move a piece of hair behind her ear.

He moved forward and kissed her cheek then slowly retracted and smiled.

Elsa turned to face Hiccup "What was that for?" She asked with a small smile.

"What? I need a reason to kiss you? You are just so damn beautiful; I would kiss you forever if I didn't need air to breathe." Hiccup replied softly, his eyes glassing over with romantic feelings.

Elsa's face turned ruby red and moved to turn to her right away from Hiccup and his forest green eyes, a move Hiccup stopped. He moved his head closer to Elsa's, she in turn moved forward and slowly but surely their lips connected. This continued for several seconds before they heard a small click. They separated and stared at Toothless who recovered from his sleep and was staring at them with a small lopsided grin. Caught.

"Hey there Toothless, how long were you watching?" Hiccup asked with a forced embarrassed cough accompanied with his traditional scratching of his head.

Toothless grinned as if saying ' _long enough_.'

"You are not going to let me live this down are you?" Hiccup asked laughing.

Toothless shook his head from side to side.

"Well, are you ready to fly bud? We are taking Elsa with us above the clouds this time." Hiccup asked excitedly trying to get Toothless excited.

Toothless bounced up and got ready to fly, he checked his tail to make sure everything was intact, it was. He then waited for his human to check his outer skin which was made of the same material that was strapped to his back and several pieces of metal and hooks that connected to his leg.

Elsa had pushed herself off the ground and was smoothing out her dress when Hiccup called out to her and asked if she was ready.

She flexed her hands again and looked at her gloves. She liked the ground, it was safe and solid. The sky seemed open and possibly dangerous. Up there, there was nothing to catch you if you fell. Sure the ground would catch you, but it would not give you a soft landing. She wanted desperately to go back to the safe confines of her room in now her castle. She looked up to see Hiccup tying himself onto Toothless, then looked at her and extended his hand outward, "are you ready to fly?"

"Actually, I changed my mind and wish to go back to the castle. We can fly on Toothless another day, Hiccup." Elsa replied moving away from him.

"What? Don't you trust me Elsa? After everything we have been through, don't you trust me to bring you back safely?" Hiccup asked hurt, wounded by her lack of confidence in him.

"Of course I trust you Hiccup, I just don't want to bring you bad luck and I just don't feel like doing this, that's all." She said moving back more and more.

Hiccup nudged Toothless to walk over to Elsa, he obliged. "Elsa, if it is one thing I care most of all about you, it is your safety and wellbeing. I would rather die than see you harmed in anyway. If you were to die, Odin knows I would follow soon after just to be with you in the afterlife." He said softly, eyes turned down too embarrassed to look at her at the moment. "So please trust me in that I will do everything in my power to make sure there are no hiccups, no pun intended in this flight. Besides if you did fall, Toothless would catch you. He has caught me plenty of times, he even caught Astrid our first time out, a fact to which she would agree to." He said confidently.

There was that name again, 'Astrid', a name that when she thought about it would reveal images of a woman conspiring to steal her beau away from her, not only him but also her happiness and maybe even her own future kingdom. She would never let her Astrid steal Hiccup away from her, if this woman did something with Hiccup then she must do that same thing but only better. Even though she hated the idea of competing with another woman, she needed to prove herself to Hiccup, that she was worthy of him. For in her eyes, Hiccup was the greatest man to ever come into her life and a part of her believed she did not deserve someone so caring and devoted to her. But she needed to increase her confidence in herself by any means even a mean that she was scared of treading.

"Okay, let's go." She said as she took Hiccups hand and climbed onto Toothless' back, wrapping her arms around Hiccups waist, pulling her chest to his back tightly.

"Okay bud are you ready?" He asked looking down at Toothless' head.

Toothless nodded his head and let out a warble that sounded like a confirmation, he slowly let out his wings and stretched them. Hiccup could feel Elsa press her face into his back and hear her take deep breaths in and out getting herself ready for the unknown. Toothless started to run towards a large rock in the middle of the cove, after running up it and jumping off the top did he flap his wings to gain thrust. Gaining air under his wings and feeling his human switch his tail into the position they used to gain altitude did he finally point himself up towards the heavens. The ground fell away to reveal the tops of trees and low puffy white things.

"Elsa. Elsa look. You can see everything from up here, your castle and future kingdom look amazing up here." She heard Hiccup say to her as she pressed her face deeper into his shoulder.

Slowly she opened one eye then the other, her vision was blurry but slowly corrected to reveal that she was hundreds if not thousands of meters above her home. She instantly tugged herself tighter around Hiccup. The cool air flowed against her feet, body and face. She could feel the cool winds whip around her coat and cause her hair to flow freely behind her. Elsa sucked in the cleanest air she probably ever tasted and released a massive breath that flowed over her shoulder into the clouds behind her. As she looked at the clouds and sun at her back did she finally look down; wrong move.

Elsa's lungs dropped to the pit of her stomach as she really looked down at her home. She realized something when she was flying with her beau thousands of meters from the safety of the ground. She did not like it up here, she wanted to go home to the safety of her room and not leave again. Elsa wanted to go to bed to take a nap and then walk to the bathroom so she could take a bath and wash this nervousness away. She was okay with having a man who lived and worked with dragons but this, flying was not for her. "Hiccup, I am done. Take me down now." She yelled over the loudness of the air hitting her face and flowing off her body.

Hiccup turned his head and heard everything Elsa had just said, "come on Elsa, just a little longer. I swear you will enjoy this if you just stay a little while longer." Hiccup yelled back.

He switched the gears and told Toothless to dive. The dragon obeyed and dived toward the mountains, flying just above the peaks at a downward angle that would eventually lead them to the cove. He wanted to show how beautiful it was up here, and hoped Elsa would see this beauty and change her mind.

Elsa's stomach squeezed again as they dived towards the ground, gliding just above the mountains. "Hiccup when I said I was done, I meant done. Take me back down now. I want to go home."

Hiccup felt crushed that his love didn't like flying as much as he did. " _Perhaps she will like it when she is at peace with her sister and had not just lost her parents. In time I will ask her again and hopefully then she will have a better experience."_ He thought as he tried to switch the gears to go up so they wouldn't fly into the ground.

"What the?" He said as he looked down at his prosthetic foot and then the lines that led to Toothless' tail, they were frozen solid.

"Umm Elsa? Are you scared?" He asked calmly.

"Of course I am scared, I want to go down and you have refused to take me down."

Hiccup tried to move his right root roughly back and forth to break the ice, it didn't work. He looked at the ground and calculated they had about thirty seconds before they would be there.

"Oh, Odin's Beard we are in for a rough landing." Elsa heard Hiccup say in loud whisper.

Elsa looked at where Toothless was flying, at this rate they would fly into a group of trees if Hiccup didn't tell Toothless to pull up.

"Umm, Hiccup aren't you going to tell Toothless to pull up?"

Hiccup looked over his shoulder at Elsa and gave her a look of 'I would but I can't'. "I would love to do that Elsa, but you accidentally froze the gears." He yelled back not in an angry tone but a tone that showed he was frustrated. Elsa looked down at her feet and saw that the lines under her legs were frozen solid. The fact that she can't feel cold reminded her that she wouldn't have felt the lines freeze even if she wanted to.

"I am so sorry Hiccup, I…I'm just scared."

Hiccup nodded his head at this, "can you thaw them?"

Elsa tried to concentrate on thawing the lines, but nothing worked. As long as she felt scared, her powers would not listen to her.

"No. Oh mercy Hiccup, what do we do?"

"Pray for a soft landing." Hiccup said back in a rush seeing that they were about to hit the trees.

"Bud, brace for impact!" Hiccup yelled.

Toothless opened his wings out to their limit which slowed them down considerably but it wasn't enough. Toothless' left wing clipped a large tree which caused them to spin down in a counter clockwise motion snapping branches and tearing the bark off hundred-year-old trees. Toothless hit the ground with a thud stopping him but causing Hiccup to fly forward and Elsa to hit Toothless' saddle with great force knocking the wind out of her.

* * *

Elsa slowly opened her eyes blinking a few times before she saw that she was looking at Toothless' neck and they were in fact in a soft grass area with trees lining the outside edges. Hiccup was nowhere to be seen, "Hiccup! Hiccup!" She yelled out getting only a groan in response. Elsa slid off the dragon hitting the ground and rolling onto her back, her chest burned from the force of the impact. She touched her sternum instantly withdrawing her hand, the pain was immense. "Oh mercy of God does that hurt."

Elsa rolled onto her stomach carefully and hoisted herself up to her feet as she leaned heavily on Toothless. "You okay Toothless?" The dragon looked at his frozen tail then looked back at her and gave her a narrowed look.

"I'm so sorry, I don't have any control over my powers when I'm scared and they froze the gears. I did not do this on purpose." She replied back not wanting to upset a dragon, Toothless just closed his eyes and took a rest.

Elsa moved on to her feet and staggered forward, falling a few times but eventually made it to the tree that Hiccup was pressed up against. His face was against the side of the trunk and his right shoulder was flat against it. "Hiccup? Are you okay?" She asked tensely as she pushed Hiccup down onto his back on the ground.

"Ahhhh!" Hiccup yelled out in pain, clutching his right shoulder.

"Oh, Hiccup I'm so sorry. You looked like you would feel better if you were on your back." Elsa said back in a rush, embarrassed that she inadvertently hurt her partner, she brought her hands up to her face and cradled them against her cheeks as she hunched over him.

Hiccup breathed in and out in labored breaths, gritting his teeth as he brought his left hand and gripped his right humerus through the muscle. Remembering what to do when his father had taught him about emergency care a few months ago.

"Now Elsa, I want you to look away for a moment. I don't want you to see this." He said in a calm tone.

"Hiccup are you…" She tried to speak before Hiccup interrupted, "Elsa! Please look away for a moment! I said I don't want you to see this!" He yelled this time.

Elsa instantly turned around, surprised at Hiccups anger. She heard ragged breaths, then a shift of soil and branches moving then finally a popping sound followed by a loud groan. More labored breaths and then finally, "It is okay now Elsa, you can look now." Hiccup said before taking a deep breath to calm his tone.

Elsa turned around and saw that he was sitting up against the very same tree she found him against in the first place.

He looked up at her and asked "are you okay?" Genuine concern laced his voice.

"Okay? You are asking if I'm okay? I have a huge bruise forming over my chest, you dislocated your shoulder then popped it back in, I nearly froze Toothless and to top it all off, we nearly died. If it wasn't for the soft grass, I would be joining my parents in the afterlife! So no, I am not okay!" She yelled back at him, frustrated by the day's activities.

Hiccup looked up to see flurries of snow materializing out of thin air, they were coming from Elsa, and he guessed her emotions were getting to her.

"And we wouldn't have been here if you didn't guilt trip me into coming, using the fact that I hate Astrid against me. I understand it was the only way to get me outside but for you to actually do that, is over the line!" Elsa roared, those small flurries turned into a small whirlwind of frost and sleet. Elsa felt pain and anger directed at her love, and for that love to betray her like this was too much to handle.

Hiccup staggered to his feet leaning heavily against the tree for support, he looked to see the woman for whom he cared most about losing herself to her powers. He had to do something before she acted on those emotions.

"Well aren't you going to say something? You were all talk before we came out here, talking about how you and Astrid shared such a private moment by accident. You're a liar! Well… Say something!" She hissed out taking a step toward him.

Hiccup knew what he had to do and he better do it before Elsa crossed the line of no return.

He pushed himself away from the tree staggering forward, but catching himself from falling. Standing straight up and moving forward he pressed into the whirlwind of now acorn sized hail, he confidently walked through the storm not wavering for a second even as he was pelted by the winds and ice. Making it into the center where she stood, her stern gaze and locked jaw directed directly at him. Hiccup brought his hand up to her cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb.

"I love you," was all he said as he before he kissed her. After a moment he pulled back to see shock written on her face. The winds and ice died off and was replaced by the warm rays from the sun.

"I…I" Elsa stuttered before she was able to regain her senses, she looked into the caring face of the person who loved her more than his own life. There was only one thing to do.

As Hiccup looked at Elsa, he could see the gears in her mind slowly turn as she understood the meaning of those three words. He could see her bringing her hand up to probably stroke his cheek as he had done for her earlier. One moment he was looking into the depths of her eyes and the next moment he was looking at the tree far in the distance to his right and for some reason his left cheek began to sting. In that moment he realized that his sweetheart had just slapped him, the woman he believed would never intentionally hurt anyone had just slapped him, of all people. He was about to retort when he noticed that she was crying again, her whole body was trembling and the tears were flowing down her face.

"Why did you slap me Elsa?"

"Because I love you. You fool. I just wish it wouldn't have happened as a result of a near death experience." She cried out then collapsed to the ground, surrendering herself to her tears.

Once the shock wore off, he gathered her into his arms and held her there on the soft snow. "I miss my parents and Anna, I want my mom and dad back so much. I want…I want my old life back before I discovered my powers. I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life trapped in a castle. And I don't want to be a queen for a kingdom that doesn't truly know me," she wheezed out in between tears. Her body was racked by vibrations from the crying and heavy breathing.

He just nestled his face into the crook of her neck and kissed her neck. "I love you too Elsa. And I will take care of you. You don't need to be afraid of anything." Elsa gave a short laugh knowing he wouldn't be able to keep his promise, but didn't say anything to counter it.

Hiccup leaned back till they were lying against the grass and Elsa was half on top of him and half on the ground next to him. Elsa just listened to the sound of his heart beating before closing her eyes and taking a small nap, exhausted by all the events of the past hour.

Hiccup didn't let himself fall asleep, he needed to stay awake and protect Elsa. They may have been the only two humans for miles, but that didn't mean there weren't other animals in the region. The soft snow beneath his head started to melt, dampening his hair. " _So this is what it is like to be loved? It sure hurts. I hope this is only the beginning stages. Elsa has a mean slap."_

After running several scenarios through his head which included new ways of taking care of his love, he looked up at the sun. It was a few degrees before its zenith, which meant it was after ten o'clock; so they had less than two hours to make it back to the castle. He gazed down at the mess of platinum blonde hair sleeping on his chest, even though he would love to let her sleep, he couldn't they needed to get back.

"Elsa? Elsa?" He called out while nudging her cautiously, not wanting to be slapped again.

"Hmm, what? I was having such a amazing dream. We were both on Berk, we just had lunch and we were just relaxing on the hill overlooking the village, it was amazing." Elsa said in a sleepy whisper.

"Elsa, we need to start walking back to the castle before they find us missing." He said as he leaned up, and slowly pushed Elsa to sit up with him.

"Oh, alright. What about Toothless?" Hiccup looked over to his dragon seeing that he had not moved from the spot where they impacted.

"Toothless! Hey bud, you alright?" Toothless slowly got up and walked over to the pair of humans. He looked at his tail seeing that it was destroyed, then swung said tail around to his brother.

As Hiccup saw the destruction he groaned into his hands, it was a total write off. The gears alone were missing in several key areas and the lines were splayed in every direction possible. He leaned forward so as to rest on his knees to take the now broken tail off. Detaching the splayed lines and tail section left Toothless in a compromising situation. He couldn't fly thus making him a weakened animal to hunters and other predators. Sure he could still fire at people, but sooner or later they would return in greater numbers.

"Alright then Toothless, I cannot attach the reserve tail to your body since the gears and wiring need to be replaced, which I can't do now since they are in my room back at the castle. Can you wait till tonight for me to fix it?" He asked his dragon whom was looking at him with his big ole green eyes.

Letting out a snort and a glance at Elsa, he warbled a rough 'yes' to Hiccup.

"Good. I will take the tail fin back to the castle and retrieve the needed items, then I will come back and attach the reserve tail. That way you are not without a tail for the night." He said as he pressed his forehead against Toothless'. He then proceeded to attach the destroyed tail fin to the back of Toothless to carry.

Taking out a compass to check his bearings, they started to walk back to Arendelle. Through the thousands of acres of trees and foliage that surrounded the kingdom.

The sunlight broke through where it could in the canopy that lined the tops of the trees, creating several rays of light. The ground was made up of the same type of dirt that was in the forests back on Berk, it was even lined with millions of green spruce needles that had detached from their trees. It was peaceful and beautiful to say the least. Dew was still dripping from the plants and vegetation, the sounds of animals moving about the forest and making their presence known echoed among the trees. Even the wind showed that it was present among the massive spruces, though he saw it more through the movement of Elsa's hair.

He felt like he was back on Berk, at least some things never changed. He would love to live in this forest if he got the chance, maybe have a second home in Arendelle, if their relationship ever grew.

Looking back at Elsa, his smile grew. She was truly beautiful with her hair pinned behind her head and her hand encased around his. He stopped and turned around to look at his now official partner whom had just told him she loved.

"What is wrong Hiccup? Is there something on my face? My clothes?" She asked looking down at her person. He said nothing as he moved forward and pulled her into an intense mind stopping kiss. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her and pressed her chest into his, deepening the kiss. Elsa was overcome with this display of love; she was not used to being on the receiving end of such affection. Her chest burned from the recent injury but it was forgotten by the kiss. After nearly a minute did Hiccup finally pull back and inhale a massive breath, replenishing his air supply. Elsa too took in a breath, but she also leaned forward to rest on Hiccups shoulder, dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

"What was that for?" She asked after resting a little bit, a smile coming to her face.

"I don't know, I just had the sudden urge to kiss you. Is that wrong of me to think that way?" He asked already knowing her answer. "No. Though next time, not so long. I nearly fainted from lack of air."

Hiccup just smiled and buried his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. Elsa heard his sniffing and took great pleasure in knowing that he loved her perfume. She put it on everyday just for him and no one else.

As Hiccup was inhaling his loves scent something caught his eye in the tree canopy among the branches that crisscrossed each other. Even Toothless looked up at the sound of little feet scurrying along bark and branch. Then without warning the creature jumped from a branch and flew to another. Hiccup backed out of the embrace and moved past Elsa to follow the creature as it flew from branch to branch till it finally landed on the ground. Elsa looked as Hiccup with his head pointing towards the sky nearly bumped into tree after tree following the path of the animal whom he was so enthralled with.

"Elsa." He called out, "what creature is this?" He used the same voice that he would often use in the library when he discovered something new in his readings.

Elsa looked at the creature scurrying up trees and away from Hiccups grasp every time he got too close. "It is a Siberian Flying Squirrel. Which is strange since they are not native to this region." She said in a knowing voice, happy that she knew more than Hiccups in several key areas including politics. Now that she was going to become Queen she needed to learn about all the laws, customs and traditions used in court, if she was going to become a fair and just ruler. Even though she didn't want to, she had no choice. Better her than Anna, who had no training to be a ruler.

"It flew, isn't that amazing? It's just like Toothless."

Said dragon gave a snort hearing that his human compared him to a lowly insignificant creature.

"Hiccup, it didn't fly. It does not have wings, it glided from branch to branch on the way down."

Hiccup looked back at Elsa and slowly nodded his head in understanding, "now to have a closer look." Picking up a rock and aiming, he threw with pinpoint accuracy hitting the small creature on the back of its neck. Hiccup immediately moved and picked up the unconscious creature.

"Hiccup! How could you be so mean? What did that animal do to you?" Elsa asked shocked that Hiccup would hit a defenseless animal with a rock.

"What? It's still alive, I just need to take a look at its body."

Hiccup slowly turned the squirrel onto its back and saw that its skin and fur continued from its wrists to its feet unabated. It looked like a small blanket of fur had formed to connect its arms, waist and legs into one wing, the same on the other side. This was a game changer, slowly the gears in his mind began to run. "I wonder if I can somehow replicate this so I too can glide." He whispered to himself.

"What was that?" Elsa asked.

Hiccup looked back at Elsa who rose an eyebrow at his whispered question.

"Nothing." Just then the squirrel awoke and tried to bite Hiccups finger, he dropped the animal to the ground and watched it scamper away from him.

"See. The squirrel is okay and going about its way. Look at how it is…" He said confidently but stopped as said animal was suddenly snatched up from the ground by a Snowy Owl. Only the flapping of the owl's wings and the screams coming from the squirrel could be heard in the distance.

Hiccups face dropped and his eyes widened at the fact that he most likely attributed to the little squirrel's fate.

"Ooh… Eeh… Umm." Was all Hiccup managed to get out as he saw the animals disappear into the sky, he did not want to turn around knowing Elsa would most likely being glaring at him.

"Well, that is the circle of life. Quick, let us go back to the castle. No use standing around here anymore. Time is a wasting." He said quickly, moving past Elsa with his head hung low. Even Toothless was laughing at him.

Elsa just shook her head and followed after her sometimes short sighted beau.

After making it back to the cove successfully and leaving Toothless to sleep off the effects of the rough landing, Hiccup and Elsa only had a few miles to go before reaching the castle.

"Hey Elsa?" Hiccup asked as they held hands and were enjoying the countryside.

"Hmm?"

"Yesterday, I took a bath in a room next to my bedroom and it was amazing. I am officially jealous that you live in a castle and have access to such luxuries. And the thing that amazed me the most was the fact that the bathroom had not existed when I came the last time. So what caused your parents to install private bathrooms?" He asked with much enthusiasm.

Elsa had to think a moment for it was over two years ago that her parents had decided to make renovations by turning spare guest rooms into private bathrooms.

"It was two years ago when a small incident caused me to freeze the bath house, water and all. I will not go into details but the incident caused my father to ask his Royal Engineers to turn some spare bedrooms into private baths for some of the rooms. Some of the walls were knocked down so doors could be added to make them joining to the existent bedrooms." Elsa explained.

"Small incident, huh? Well I won't ask, since you clearly don't want to talk about it. But why are you not letting the bath maids draw baths for you?" He asked while giving a squeeze to Elsa's hand.

Elsa gave a smile to the gesture, squeezing back.

"I did not want them to think it was strange that I take warm to cool baths, for some reason I do not like hot water. While it was enjoyable when I was younger since then I now enjoy taking luke warm baths, and if they found out I worried that they would tell the citizens about it and think I was a witch or something."

Hiccup stopped walking and turned to look at Elsa fully, raising his other hand and grasping her hand to make sure he had her attention.

"Elsa it has been ten years over since you first noticed your powers and many things have happened to both you and I since then, and don't you think if one of the maids, servants, guards or cooks had seen something they would have spread the word by now? Elsa, I believe your father made everyone who worked in the castle sworn to secrecy if they saw anything or at the very least an oath of allegiance to you if anything happened to them. That is why all of the citizens believe you are just a very shy woman. A woman who will become their queen in three years."

Hiccup took Elsa into his arms and hugged her to him. "Elsa you are not strange, you are unique. One in a million and I am lucky to be your beau and to be loved by you. I will be by your side whenever you need me, just write a letter and I will be there. I promise you that." Hiccup said as he gave a kiss to her forehead.

A tear escaped Elsa's eye and strolled down her cheek at Hiccups promise to staying by her side. Elsa leaned forward and rewarded him with a kiss.

"Now that we are done talking about the past, how about we talk about the present and future?" Elsa gave a laugh and moved out of the hug so they could make it back to the castle before noon came.

After talking about her recent queen training regimen that now included intensive reading and learning of customs and court rules, and what possibly laid ahead in her future. Before long they made it back to the tree line that had a view of the back door. A back door which was now being regularly watched by a few Guards on the wall.

Elsa saw this and frowned, "the Guards are going to see us if we walk to that door, what do we do?" She asked worried that they wouldn't make it to their respective rooms on time before someone noticed they were gone.

Hiccup took a knee and watched the Guards to see if there was an opening, there wasn't. Taking a moment to come up with a plan, Hiccup then stood to tell Elsa his simple idea.

"Alright, I am going to move further down the tree line about fifty yards or so and gain the attention of the Guards. It will be up to you to decide when to make a run for the door. Sound good?" He asked knowing it was the only play they had.

"Yes, but how do you know they won't attack you?" She asked worried that something might happen.

"Simple, I know most of the Guards and they know who I am. Besides they will not attack the son of a Viking Chief who is also courting their future Queen." He said then gave a lopsided grin.

"Now be ready to make a dash for the door, and I will see you inside later on." Hiccup nodded his head and then walked down the forest before moving out of the woods and marching straight up to the side gate making as much noise as he could. Sure enough the rear wall Guards abandoned their positions to take up additional positioning at the extended wall entrance gate. Seeing an opening Elsa made a dash for the door, and after pulling the heavy door open with a little strength was back inside the warm castle. She swiftly avoided patrols and maids to make it back to her room.

A few moments later she heard a discussion near her door, it included Hiccups voice.

"I am sorry again Birger for the trouble I caused. I just wanted to take a stroll in the forest and did not think your Guards would have a problem opening the rear gate for me." Hiccup said innocently.

"You are not at fault Mr. Hiccup just please inform us ahead of time if you want to take a stroll in the woods, we will come with you or at the very least provide a horse for you to ride. We don't want to explain to your father or Princess Elsa why you got hurt or were out alone unguarded." Birger replied in a protective tone.

"Do not worry, I will tell you any future trips I plan to make outside the castle walls. Which reminds me, I will be traveling back into the woods tonight. I need to fix my dragons tail. One of the parts snapped off during the storm and it needs to be replaced."

Birger raised an eyebrow, "you brought a dragon to Arendelle? Do you believe that was wise?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Birger. "Yes, for it was my only way to travel here through the storm. Do you have a problem with me going out tonight?" Hiccup asked, a little gruff laced his voice.

"I can think of several problems with the idea of you going outside at night unguarded. I will send some…" Just then the door opened on the opposite side to reveal Elsa looking out into the hallway towards the two men.

Birger instantly bowed then stood at attention. "Your Royal Highness. How are you today? Is there anything you require?" He said quickly, this was the first time he had seen Princess Elsa in a few months, so he wanted to look professional.

"I just wanted to hear what was the commotion about, I had been reading and I heard you two speaking." She replied tiredly.

Hiccup noticed that she had changed into a light blue outfit that could be slept in or be used to walk around in the castle in. It looked good on her.

"Apologies Princess Elsa we did not mean to break your concentration. I was just discussing with Mr. Hiccup that going out into the forest to fix his dragons tail was a bad idea unless he takes some Guards with him." He replied.

Elsa turned to Hiccup knowing full well why he needed to go out tonight, but needed to look like she knew nothing. "Hiccup, why not wait till tomorrow to fix Toothless' tail?" Elsa asked in a royal sounding tone.

"Because I promised him that I would have his reserve tail on him by tonight, and until then he is in danger since he cannot fly."

Elsa nodded her head, "Fine. Captain Birger you will allow Hiccup to go out tonight unescorted, Guards will only put Toothless on edge which will put your men on edge as a result. If that is all, I will go to the Library and please have the cooks deliver me something for lunch." Elsa said then strolled down the hall towards the Library.

Hiccup stood there stunned that Elsa had actually gained the courage to face her staff and have a conversation with them. "Well that was interesting." He replied after a moment.

"Yes, it was indeed. How come Princess Elsa sided with you so quickly? I would have thought she would have wanted you be kept safe away from danger?"

"Simple. I am courting her and she wants to make me happy so she usually goes along with what I want." He replied nonchalantly, " _well courting would be a stretch, since we break all the courting rules of no touching or kissing_. _Hel, he was never one to follow rules anyway, he makes his own and even then he breaks them. When it is just the two of us, we act like a married couple but for everyone else, we are courting. Don't want to be frowned upon and all."_ He thought.

"Truly? Congratulations. How long till you marry?" Birger asked enthused that his future Queen had found a suitor already.

"Why does everyone keep asking about when we will marry? There are many things that I must do before I even entertain that thought."

"I suppose so. Now back to tonight's stroll, I must request that you at least use a horse so as to get to where you put your dragon more quickly. There are wolves that roam our kingdom and they have killed many a traveler." Birger replied in an authoritative tone, not backing down.

Seeing he wasn't going to win this argument, he conceded. "Fine, I will use a horse, just make sure it doesn't scare easy."

"Of course."

And with that Birger walked toward the stables to select a horse for the small journey, while Hiccup retrieved the spare tail and parts then went to have lunch in the kitchen.

* * *

Hiccup strolled into the library having returned from the cove and attaching Toothless' tail. He had a brief run in with those wolves Birger had warned him about, but they were unable to keep pace with the horse that was provided to him. He would have to tell Birger thanks later for saving him from a possibly ugly confrontation.

Moving past the rows of book shelves and reading tables he saw Elsa sitting on a nearby couch engulfed in her book. Quietly moving over to in front of the couch he laid down placing his head on her lap, jolting her from book land. She looked down to see him grinning at her.

"Hello beautiful."

Elsa breathed out a breath thru her nose making it look like her nose flared out. "And a hello to you too, did you attach Toothless' tail?"

"Yes." He then reached up and took Elsa's book from her hands before looking briefly at the page then closed it and tossed it on the ground.

"Hiccup, I was reading that, and you didn't even let me put a marker in it. That was a little rude." She replied vehemently, glaring down at the still grinning Hiccup

"You are on page one hundred and fifty-seven, chapter four of _Pride and Prejudice._ Do you want me to tell you about what happens to Elizabeth Bennet?"

"No! ... I mean no. And when have you read the book?" She asked surprised that Hiccup would read a romantic style book.

"I have read it twice, once because I was bored and once because I wanted to know how to woo you." He replied while blushing, looking away.

Elsa smiled, moved her legs a bit to get more comfortable and started to run her hands through Hiccups hair, taking the excess hair and braiding it.

Hiccup smiled at the small massage, he loved it when his mom had run her fingers through his hair and along his scalp. It was one of the things he missed most about his mom, she always made him feel safe and somewhat needed, even after being feeling like a failure in his father's eyes. The head massage was his one weaknesses, it helped him relax. He unknowingly pushed his head furtherer into her grasp.

Elsa smiled at the effect she was having on Hiccup, she loved doing things for him even if they were insignificant like this. Out of all the things Hiccup could have become he became a kind, respectful and loving gentleman who would do anything for her. She may have been cursed with these powers, but Hiccup made it easier on her; she had even iced him accidentally and he just laughed it off. She truly was blessed to have him in her life, and she thanked God that her parents had chosen Hiccups parents over others. Who knew what other men would have been like toward her and her powers. They might have used her as a possible weapon or more likely just a tool for kingdom expansion. Hiccup it seemed did not care about those things and only wanted her love and affection.

Having realized that she was talking to herself in her head she looked down to see that Hiccup had fallen asleep in her lap, his face pointing inwards toward her stomach and a look of bliss was written across his face. A smile rose to her face as she stroked his face softly before leaning back and looking up to see the fire had grown quiet from lack of wood to give it life. She decided to close her eyes and give herself a little nap before dinner was served in an hour. The last thing she saw was the last flames die out in the fireplace before being replaced by glowing embers.

Elsa was roused from her sleep by a warm hand on her cheek followed by a soft kiss. Elsa leaned into the kiss before opening her eyelids. She saw Hiccup smiling back at her fully awake and standing up in front of her.

"Elsa, it is time for dinner. The servants will be arriving in a few minutes with food, best look decent before they get here." Hiccup said before smoothing out his vest.

Not even a minute after making sure her hair was pinned to the back of her head there was a knock on the library door. She made her way to the table in the middle of the room and taking a seat while Hiccup went to the door and opened it. A few servants wandered in and prepared the table by putting down a table cloth, water filled goblets and utensils followed by large plates of chicken, rice and an assortment of vegetables.

When they were done, Hiccup thanked them and they departed after closing the door behind them. Hiccup moved to the table opposite of Elsa and breathed in some of the aromas coming off the sea of food.

"My goodness does this smell wonderful, usually the only time we get really good food is when it is Snoggletog. Which reminds me to ask my father if we can rename it to something a little less stupid." He said then gave a chuckle.

Elsa giggled too, "Oh, I think it sounds cute, let me guess you came up with the name?" She asked with a small smirk.

"Maybe. I had drunk a little too much mead and had suggested the name when I was inebriated. But now after saying it over and over, it sounds rather stupid. It is one of the embarrassing moments in my life when I did not think about something all the way through." He replied after cutting up his chicken breast and spooning some vegetables onto his plate.

After eating for a little while and the conversations had all but ceased did Elsa decide to reignite the flames of talk. "So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" She asked since her options were a little limited, she didn't want to go outside and she could either sleep, eat or read and learn about the world and customs of what her mother had to do. She wished she had learned more from her mom, but it was too late and she did not know if her mother had kept a journal. She did not feel like going into their bedroom, it would feel too weird being in there and them not in the land of the living anymore.

"I'm thinking of going into town tomorrow and fixing Toothless' tail at the local forge." He said while looking down at his plate for another piece of chicken after swallowing some rice.

"Hmm… that sounds nice." She said but then remembered about the recent building projects and what her father had done about a year ago. "Oh, you don't need to go into town, you can just do it here in the castle. My father had a forge built near the Guards barracks for them so they would able to maintain their weapons. It is not big, but it can handle fixing the tail." Elsa smiled knowing Hiccup wouldn't have to leave the castle and would remain close to her in case she needed him.

Hiccup nodded since he was still chewing a piece of broccoli. After swallowing and looking up with a smile, "That is nice, but I will still use the local forge since I want to do some shopping after I am done. My friends want me to pick up some things since they don't have access to shops other than what is on Berk. Most of them want chocolate for they heard that is amazing from trader Johann, plus I had bragged that I ate a pound of it last time I was here. Thank goodness I exercise regularly and having a high metabolism doesn't hurt things either." He said then went back to eating. He could eat whatever he wanted and he wouldn't gain a pound. Though it was hard to gain muscle, but with enough physical activities and training, he hoped to at least fill out his clothes.

Elsa was secretly displeased at the news, but did not show it. She could understand that he did not want to be trapped in a castle all week, but she had gotten kind of used to this life of being trapped in a castle. It wasn't all bad, when Anna wasn't around she made regular trips to the Art Gallery and Library, where each painting and book held a different story. She could at least for a few hours escape into a world that was void of magic and only held amazement and wonder.

In the end it was all for the greater good, one life being locked away instead of hundreds of lives being in danger if her powers ever got out of control. Sure she prayed that one day she would wake up without powers, but since things did not work like that, she had just resigned herself to this fate of constantly living in fear of her powers and there nothing she could do about. But when Hiccup was around she had all but forgot about her troubles, so when Hiccup leaves her side if only for a little while, it makes a huge impact on her confidence level. He was literally her support pillar, with him holding her up she felt secure and without him she crumbled.

"Elsa, I forgot to ask, but have your Royal Guards or sailors talked to anyone about what lives on Berk?" Hiccup asked out of the blue and in a hushed tone.

"About what lives on your island?" Elsa asked confused, then remembered about the dragons. She had gotten so used to the idea of dragons, it seemed weird to imagine Hiccup without Toothless. Sure she had only visited Berk once, but those two had grown so close from what she had learned via letters it seemed now impossible to imagine Berk without those flying reptiles.

"Oh no, when I returned home, my father had an immediate talk with everyone and had them all sworn to secrecy. Upon pain of death or imprisonment they would never utter a word or syllable to anyone about the mythical creatures of the Northern Islands. Only I could lift that order, and may well do in the future but only if you want me to." She finished with an air of political authority.

Hiccup looked pleased that she was slowly becoming the queen she was meant to be, the only thing that needed to be improved was her relationship with Anna. If that was fixed, then her confidence would sky rocket and he would not have to be worried every time he left her to go back home.

"I may well ask you to, if your people can take the sight of a dragon without being scared and causing panic. I believe Arendelle can accept our dragons in peace, it's the other nations surrounding Arendelle I am not so relaxed with. Especially the Southern Islands ones, rumors of attempted assassinations, land grabbing and the exploitation of everything has me worried about opening up the world to our dragons." Hiccup clarified with a hint of a drawn back tone, the usually happy sounding Viking was replaced with a worried one.

Elsa thought for a moment, how well would her people take seeing a dragon? Would they flee or would they be drawn in by the sheer amazement of such a creature existing? She remembered her first encounter, it wasn't so bad and her Guards even came to like the dragons after being introduced to them in a controlled environment. Only in a controlled setting could understanding and acceptance take place. Perhaps she would have her very own dragon to keep in the stables and maybe even ride every now and then if she had the time to spare. Of course she would have to get over her fear of flying first. Though Anna would ride her dragon every day if she ever got one, the poor thing would probably tire out from the amount of flying that was required of it to keep Anna entertained. Elsa gave a small chuckle at this future dream which could become a reality.

"There is two more things I would like to ask you Hiccup." Elsa asked all of a sudden.

Hiccup looked up from finishing his plate to see Elsa looking at him with a quiet expression of wanting to know something they have never talked out. He was intrigued as to what she wanted to learn.

"What is it Elsa? You look almost uncertain."

Elsa in turn folded her arms in front of her chest, her hands gripping the opposite bicep.

"Well, even though you were a few days late because of the storm, you would have taken about four days to get here from Berk." She started then stopped to gage Hiccup's reaction to the start of the conversation.

Hiccup only nodded his head at the math of how many it would take to reach Arendelle from Berk. "And your question is?"

"My question is why does it take the same amount to time to go from Berk to Arendelle even though a dragon is faster than a ship?" She asked in one breath while using her hands to move from one spot on the table to another.

Hiccup brought his hand up to his chin and stroked his nonexistent hair, he silently wished he had some chin hair to make him look older and more mature.

"That is an excellent question Elsa and I have an answer for you, one that is easy to understand." He said and finished with a smile, he felt like a teacher again. Which reminded him that he had to make some new lessons for the academy when he got back.

"A ship normally takes about four to five days sailing from Arendelle to reach Berk while steering around rough currents, islands and any other spots that could cause your ship to slow or stop. Now a dragon doesn't have to worry about all that since they can fly above rough currents, islands and any other spots that would cause a ship to stall. The only things they have to worry about are rough winds and thunderstorms." Hiccup stopped take a sip of water before continuing.

"The real reason why it takes dragons just as long if only a day shorter to travel long distances is because of those long distances. All animals need to rest, eat and relieve themselves and dragons are no different. The longest I have ridden Toothless was for about fifteen or sixteen hours, and by then he was exhausted and so was I for sitting in one place for that long. After landing we relieved ourselves in some bushes, ate some fish and then slept for eight hours before starting again."

Hiccup looked at Elsa and raised his eyebrows once to see if she was following along, she nodded her head in response.

"Now ships are not animals, so they don't need rest. But you can say the men taking care of the ship need rest, but that is why ships have more than one crew to make sure the ship never slows or stops. So as long as there are crews to swap out, a ship can basically sail twenty-four hours a day, and thus making up the time and distance that a dragon had gotten while they rested from flying past the slower ship. So yes, dragons are far faster than the ships that count on the winds to propel them through the seas. But, the dragons need to rest while the ships that are not technically alive don't. Only by finding the best winds that are flowing with you can a dragon truly arrive far ahead of a ship. Besides a dragon is good for scouting missions or traveling like I did for you, but they are not ideal for moving to another location since they cannot carry large amounts of goods or supplies whereas a ship is more ideal for those kinds of situations. Do you understand my answer to your question?" He asked after his long winded answer.

Elsa nodded her head and smiled at the simple explanation. "Yes and thank you explaining it with such zeal, it surely livened up the conversation."

"That is good to hear and what was your second question?"

Elsa cocked her head to the side before remembering she had another question to ask, she blushed at forgetting.

"My second question is why does there seem to be no dragons in Arendelle? What keeps them from leaving the Northern Isles and migrating to Arendelle?"

Hiccup thought way back to when he and Agdar were in the chapel and he said that dragons had actually lived in Arendelle for a period of time before going to Berk and never coming back.

"Actually your father and I had almost the exact same conversation a few years ago. He told me Arendelle once had dragons but they all moved away to the Northern Isles for an unknown reason." He stopped at looked at Elsa to see her eyes brows had gone up in curiosity. "Personally I do not know why they migrated North, maybe it was because they were being hunted so they merely flew away from the problem; dragons are not just mindless beasts, they are intelligent reptiles when they want be." He then thought of Barf and Belch, " _well maybe not all dragons_. _Now back to the question at hand_."

"Perhaps an alpha dragon drew them away as what happened with the Red Death or maybe they did what some geese do, they migrate North for the summer to breed, but when the dragons flew North they just stayed. More fish, uninhabited islands and charming views of the sunsets. I never really looked into it, but maybe I will when I have the spare time. But I have too much on my plate now, with the dragon academy, chief training and all." Once he finished, Hiccup looked down at his plate and started to eat up the last of the peas and chocolate.

"Thank you for answering my questions, now on to more pressing matters, are you going to get me anything while you are out shopping?" She asked honestly.

"It depends. Shopping for you is hard as to why I make all your gifts. What does a person whom is courting the future queen get for her when she already has access to whatever she wants at a moment's notice? Your chef's can make chocolate and sweets whenever you want, you already have jewelry and clothing and you have a room full of books from distant lands. As to why it depends on whether or not I can truly find you something you do not have or do not have access to." He replied then rubbed his head in frustration at being unable to think of something to buy her.

"If that's the case then do not worry about buying something for me, your presence alone is worth a room full of gold." She said then smiled.

Hiccup looked up and returned the smile, before reaching across the table and taking hold of her hand, relieved that she did not care whether she got something or not.

After a moment of hand holding, Hiccup had to retreat his hand in order to cover his mouth so he could yawn. Immediately after he yawned so did Elsa, taking that as their cue to go to bed.

Hiccup offered his hand to Elsa, for her to stand up from her chair. As they left the library a few servants walked passed them bowing their heads to show respect for the young royals.

"Well, we had a rather eventful day, didn't we?" Hiccup asked as they stood in-between their rooms in the hall.

Elsa smiled at the thought of Hiccup telling her he loved her. "Yes, it rather was. And I would love to spend more time with you as long as it does not include sneaking out of the castle or crash landing on a dragon." She replied with an amused tone.

Hiccup smirked while he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "Alright, so it was a little too early for you to learn to fly on a dragon."

"It is okay, we are unhurt and no one knew we were gone."

He nodded his head in confirmation of her statement. "Well goodnight Elsa, I will see you in the afternoon after I get back from the town square." Hiccup said before he kissed Elsa on her cheek and moving to his door.

Elsa nodded her head, "Be safe out there and don't mention anything about dragons, okay?"

"Of course, your people are not ready for that speech yet. Goodnight, my future Queen."

"And goodnight to you too, Hiccup." Elsa replied before slipping into her room, closing the door and then moving behind the changing screen before finally slipping underneath the covers where she momentarily feared about her destiny as the future Queen of Arendelle. " _I am going to be the future Queen of Arendelle. Will I be a good Queen? Will I be able to keep peace in my country, while also being a good wife for Hiccup? He told me only a short while ago that he had enemies, will his enemies become my enemies? Or will they back down because of my kingdom's strength?"_ Elsa covered her face with her hands in anxiety of all this new news. " _I must keep calm for Hiccup will be at my side and he will surely let no danger come near me and my kingdom. Surely he will be by my side forev…"_ She let out before drifting off to sleep.

As Hiccup laid in his bed, only one thought was running though his head, " _What will I get Elsa when I go shopping tomorrow? Sure she told me that I didn't have to get her anything, but still, what kind of partner would I be if I came back to her castle with nothing for her? A bad partner. And I definitely don't want to be a bad partner, she only deserves a great partner, a loving partner. Maybe I will see something I have never seen before when I go out tomorrow. I sure hope so."_ Hiccup let out a loud yawn before turning on his side and falling to sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I know some of you may raise a question as to why I didn't include the eating of the fish head in the gaining of Toothless' trust. Personally I don't see Elsa eating a piece of a fish head, I could see Hiccup doing it but not Elsa. And thank you for making it all the way through, drop a review if you want. Hope to give you another chapter soon, back to the old writing desk.


	12. Recreational Activities

**Authors Notes:** Once again thank you all for those of you who have favorited, left a review or added this story to their alerts. It may have taken me a month, but I finally got around to releasing another chapter for your reading pleasure. The next chapter I am currently on will be focused around Hiccup becoming Chief and all the events related to that event. It will be a major departure from what was shown in the movie and I hope you will like the changes.

If there are any artists reading this you all may notice the inclusion of a few well known companies; I did my research and all those named companies existed in 1836.

Drop a review if you have the time to ask any questions or to express your feelings about the latest chapter. I will try to answer your questions via pm in a timely manner.

Thank you all for your time and have a nice day.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

 **Chapter Twelve**

 _Recreational Activities_

* * *

Clouds, all he could see was clouds. All around him was open space, and Toothless was nowhere to be seen. He looked over his shoulder to see that he had wings, leather wings attached to his body. " _This is amazing_." Hiccup thought as he moved up and down, left and right gliding between the trees and mountains, suddenly a tree branch came out of nowhere and clipped him sending spiraling toward the ground. Closing his eyes and bringing his hands up to his face to protect himself, but before he hit the ground two black claws snatched him out of the air and helped him land safe and unhurt.

Turning around he was rewarded with a view of two large brown eyes. Stepping back, he saw that the eyes belonged to a furry head of a large flying squirrel but had the body of Toothless, who then proceeded to lick him. The Squirrel was the same size Toothless was, but had scales mixed in with fur and before his tongue gave him a final lick a bell chimed in the distance.

Hiccup's eyes snapped open and he was back in the castle with no dragon claws or squirrels in sight.

" _Well that was an interesting dream_." Hiccup said thinking back to the dream, "Ooh, I need to write about the wing suit before I forget." He then leapt out of the bed, ran over to his satchel, recovering his journal and proceeded to draw a rough sketch of the wing suit he saw in his dream. " _Perfect_." He thought before he was brought out of his thoughts with the sound of seven bells ringing. "Time to go shopping." Hiccup said with joy in his voice.

Hiccup had noted that normally women did the shopping as was customary, while the men went to work and made the money. Also was custom for the woman to take care of the house, the children and make the meals. The men were supposed to catch the animal, bring it back to the woman and have her clean it, while the man goes back out to increase their social status if possible. That was years ago, now with dragon raids being all but wiped out except for a rare rogue dragon who came up every now and then. The old social norm was erased, it was now normal for women to go out and kill their future meal and bring it back to prepare, while men shopped for custom saddles for their respective dragon.

Hiccup looked at the city and saw that the old social norm was still in full swing, perhaps Berk was ahead of the game in some areas while Arendelle was ahead in others. He personally believed that all men and women were equal, even though the council still believed in the old ways and was hell bent on keeping the old laws in modern times. If he became Chief as his father wanted, and he not so much, he would have to listen to the council before making any major decisions. He would still be able to make small decisions on his own as long as they were not life changing or ground breaking. His father had been pressing him to accept more and more responsibilities that cut dangerously into his flying times with Toothless or teaching times at the dragon academy.

And as a result had to give more authority to Astrid and Fishlegs so the classes could continue, and he hated every moment of it. He wanted to explore new islands and new dragons, not wanting to worry about the local yak population or what kind of accessories his fellow Vikings wanted on their saddles. He tried to argue about the need to map the archipelago or at the very least find out where dangerous Vikings were living. His father would have none of it, all but barring him from leaving the island, so he did what he normally did. He snuck out and mapped the islands anyway.

After reading a book in the royal library he had found out that his father basically believed in isolationism in that a leader asserted that their nations' best interests were best served by keeping the affairs of other countries at a distance.

Now while he had respect for his father before the dragons were being tamed, with the weekly raids and all but now it seemed unnecessary. The majority of dragons were their friends and wouldn't sink a ship in anger. Plus, they had a peace treaty with the major Viking tribes and had not seen a war in many years, the need for isolationism was all but gone. Though he could still see why his father believed in it still, how would Arendelle react to seeing a dragon? Pandemonium was most likely or a need to hunt them down and make them extinct out of fear alone. While trade with Arendelle was basically them sending Berk medicine and soap, there was no major trade route between the two kingdoms, something a map could surely remedy or maybe he could even get the future queen to declare an official route. Now that he looked at being Chief a bit differently he could definitely see the plusses of being a leader, but what he had to give up still outweighed the benefits. But enough of these harmful thoughts, he had to buy something for Elsa.

The market square even in the early morning hours was bustling with life and talk from the city folk. After he had donned his clothing and grabbed an apple from the kitchens he proceeded out of the small door beside the main gate. By the time he had made it over the draw bridge he had eaten all but the core of the apple, depositing the rest in a refuse can. He had his small bag of gold nuggets, knowing the local exchange rate for gold he knew he would not be swindled if the moment occurred.

He nodded to several local merchants and city guards alike, each bowing and giving proper greetings to the young monarch. Now it had become common knowledge that a young Viking who was next in line to become the next chief of an island nation was visiting their kingdom and not only that, but was friends with both princesses, one of whom was the future queen of their kingdom. Sadly, the guards could not squash the gossip and rumors of the young monarch's interesting arrangement to see the princesses every so many years. While he did want to boast that he was in a relationship to Elsa he would deny or refuse to answer such questions out of respect for Elsa. She already has enough strain in her life, she doesn't need any additional strains added because of his callousness.

Walking along the tidy cobblestone streets, he was amazed and slightly irritated at himself for not making more trips outside the castle walls more often to see such beautiful sights. The buildings were kept up, the streets were clean and did not have any dirt or soil near them except for the holders for the plants. Walking past a fountain, he noticed the sun peeking through the clouds in the far distance. Out of all the cities he had visited which were basically here and home, he would have to say Berk was still more beautiful than Arendelle. He was actually envious of the city and wished that he could do the same to Berk, perhaps some construction was overdue.

Going into a clothing shop he noted the lack of leather and furs and instead saw fine fabrics and yarns. The amount of choices destroyed what he was used to, and the colors were mind boggling; yellow, green, purple, nearly every color of the rainbow was present. He turned when he heard someone release a small cough to the side of him.

"How may I help you, sir?" The middle aged man asked with his tall yet thin figure, wrapped in a mixture of fine silk, cashmere and leather as if to show off what they sold.

"Ah yes, I am here shopping for my friends and they have given me a list of what they would like." Reaching into his pocket he procured a hastily written note with many items of different natures in small print.

"The girls would like scarves that are not fancy in a sense that attracts others to their location, they want a scarf that is plain and only serves its function to keep them warm." Hiccup said trying to narrow down possible choices.

"Of course, right this way." The merchant said as they moved to the back of the store, a light coating of dust was present on some of the rear tables, hinting to the fact that many people only cared about look and not practicality.

"Now, I must say that I don't usually sell a lot of merchandise based on something actually doing its job, most people just want it to look good."

" _Thank you for confirming my hunch_." Hiccup thought, "Well, where I am from we care about it actually doing its job instead of what it looks like."

"Where are you from sir, if I may be so bold?" The man asked as he moved aside baskets to get to the clothing reserved for the winter months.

"Far up North, where freezing winters are the norm and hail storms are second nature." Hiccup replied plainly.

"Well then you will need the winter gear reserved for mountain climbers." The merchant pulled out some boxes and rested them on a nearby table, taking off the cover and digging into the contents only to bring out some brown colored scarfs.

"Here we are, these are our warmest scarves. They are thick and can stand the test of time and elements. They are made from sheep's wool that came from the Kingdom of DunBroch." The man replied with vigor.

Now Hiccup had heard of DunBroch, it was a kingdom north of England, their mortal enemies. A few Viking tribes had bonded together and tried to invade DunBroch but were beaten back by the joined clans of the kingdom. Now they existed in peace and Hiccup hoped that peace would continue for generations.

"Sir? Sir?" The merchant asked noticing the lack of attention coming from the young man.

"Hmm? Oh, apologies for not paying attention. I was lost in thought. May I see the scarf?" Hiccup asked trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"Of course." Hiccup was handed the scarf and then tried stretching it and seeing if it would break; it didn't.

"These scarves are known for its premium quality and exceptional softness and warmth, they are expertly woven and have a fringed edge." He took out another scarf and wrapped it around his neck several times, "They will keep your friends warm and dry for years to come."

Hiccup nodded his head in agreement and unwound the scarf, "right I will take two and what do you have of socks?"

Reaching down into another box, he brought out some grey colored socks, which looked very thick in nature. "These were made in the Kingdom of Spain and use premium, itch-free merino wool to pull away moisture from your feet, so you can stay active longer." He said then gave a sock to his customer to try out.

Hiccup was amazed that technology had advanced to the point where they could make clothing itch free. The sock he was currently wearing was terrible and was very itchy. He desperately wanted to just wear his boot, but his father denied him even that luxury.

"Alright, I will take five and a half pairs. One pair each for my five friends and one sock for me." Hiccup said with enthusiasm then smiled.

"Certainly sir, but won't you need a pair as well?" The man asked innocently.

"That would be the case, but the one sock will do just fine since I have only one foot, the one sock will just be changed out every so often." He then gave a laugh and pointed to his metal foot.

The merchant looked down and his eyes widened. "Apologies young sir for my ignorance, I did not see your condition."

"It is alright, it happens all the time. Now I believe I have everything I nee… actually what are those?" Hiccup asked as he pointed to a far wall.

The older man looked to the wall and smiled, "ah you have a good eye sir, and these are snowshoes. They are footwear for walking over the snow. They distribute your weight so you don't sink completely into the snow, they make walking across vast distances so much easier." He said as he picked a pair of them up and showed the young lad who had a knack for picking out the best products.

Hiccup took the pair and tried one of them on, it fit but it technically would not work for his condition, unless he had a boot made around his prosthetic. The design reminded him of a teardrop, wide enough for their massive boots.

"I love them, I will take six pairs of them, one for each of my friends and me." He could use the spare snow shoe to tinker around with.

The owner nodded his head and brought all the items over to his counter where he could calculate what was owed to him. "Okay, that will be eight gold and two silver speciedaler pieces." The seller said in an expectant voice.

Hiccup reached down and grasped his bag of gold and jewels. He was by no means wealthy, but he was comfortable in his means. He just never really bought anything and had saved his money that his father had given him from the result of trades and birthdays. He also had a fair collection of diamonds and gems he had found in the caves around the island. Hiccup knew what they were worth in exchange to Arendellian currency, he just never had the time to go to the local currency shop and make the trade.

"Now I don't have any speciedaler pieces, but I do have uncut diamonds fresh from the caves of the earth. I know you would have to pay someone to cut and prepare them, so I will give you four of them. One as compensation for the work and three as payment for the items. Do you agree with taking such a payment?" Hiccup said as he held out his hand waiting for the merchant to agree to the terms.

The older gentleman was flabbergasted and amazed by the size of the diamonds, each one was as big as his pinky nail. His wife would have been in his debt forever if he had given her this one these on the day he proposed to her. Maybe he can give it to her on a necklace for their upcoming anniversary. Noticing that he was thinking for quite a while and the young man was still waiting, he immediately willed his hand to grasp the younger hand in a deal confirming shake.

"It's a deal, young sir and come back anytime. Now just give me a few minutes so I can wrap these items up in brown paper and tie them with some string, you can walk around the shop till they are ready." He said as he set about pulling out several large rolls of brown paper and a pair of scissors.

"Alright, and thank you." Hiccup replied as he set out to looking around the merchant's shop with renewed fascination. Perhaps he would come again later on before he went back to Berk, maybe he would buy a blanket for Toothless. He just had to make sure Toothless could carry all the extra packages. After a few moments the packages were ready and he set out with two armfuls of items. Maybe he would need to head back to the castle, but thought against it. Soon enough he found his solution as he passed by a small toy store, he went into the store and purchased a red long wagon. It was perfect for his needs and he could just give it away when he was done with it.

After a few hours of buying different things for his father and Gobber including a new comb and a small barrel of whiskey also from DunBroch, he set his sights toward a small alleyway nestled behind the main street. The only sounds that were made was the soft squeaks of his leg and the occasional plop of the wagon hitting a broken cobblestone. There was a single shop at the end of the alley named 'Collections of the Brush'.

Hiccup noticed there were brushes, colored pencils and art work in the window of the shop, excited to have found an art supply shop, he immediately went inside and held the door long enough so he could wheel in his wagon. The bell chiming as he did do.

"May I help you, sir?" And older gentlemen with a pair of spectacles on the bridge of his nose asked.

The shop had a warmth to it, a fireplace with a fire in the back and a single rocking chair in front of it, the owner glanced over his shoulder as he was painting from lack of customers.

"Ah, yes, I was wondering if I may but some art supplies." Hiccup asked embarrassed that he had interrupted the man's work.

The older gentlemen hobbled out of his old chair, taking his pipe out of his mouth and settling it down on the counter. He made his way to Hiccup, giving him a once over. "Son, this is a place for professionals not first timers, I only sell to committed artists, not boys who are bored." The man said with a tired tone, placing his pipe back into his mouth, drawing in the smoke and then breathing out. Hiccup immediately put the handle of the wagon down on the ground so he could reach into his satchel, retrieving his notebook and flipping to a page in the back.

"I may not be a professional, but I am certainly not doing this as a past time. I have some skill with my work." He replied back while showing the old man one of his sketches of his father, drawn with a charcoal pencil that Elsa had given him years ago.

The shop owner looked at the sketch with mild enthusiasm. "I must say this is some of the best work I have seen in a while, please forgive my ignorance, I usually get young school boys that are just looking for paper to draw rainbows on." He responded with a tired sigh.

Hiccup nodded his head at the apology, "I understand and hold nothing against you or your shop; so may I buy some supplies?"

"Of course young sir, what do you need?" He asked as he moved further into his shop and took blankets off some boxes and walls revealing dozens of pieces of art.

Hiccup stood amazed at the pieces of art, some were of charcoal sketches while other were full blown paintings of the sunset or mountains. They were absolutely beautiful, and he so desperately wanted to be that good at drawing or painting. "Ah, yes I need paper, pencil sharpeners, an art gum eraser, and a brush for sweeping away residue of the eraser. I also need charcoal pencils, whether it be individual pencils or in a collection and a pencil wrap bag to hold all my pencils." He said as he counted the items with his fingers, "It may seem like a lot, but I am from far up North and we simply do not have access to this…" Hiccup said as he pointed to different things "I simply want to get as much as possible now, before going back home."

The old artist nodded his head, "you do not need to give me a reason why you want buy so much sir, and this is a place of understanding and respect. My name is Erland, and I would be happy to assist you young sir…" He said as he moved to grab some paper out of a box "first is paper, I have many different makers but the finest is Canson, they were founded in the Kingdom of France in the year fifteen fifty seven and are known the world over for the extensive collection of paper to draw, write and print on. The Canson edition is the best that I have, the weight is two hundred and fifty grams and is made of one hundred percent cotton which is very versatile, yet soft. As for colors I have bright white, antique, white, cream, vanilla, light grey and of course black."

Hiccup was amazed at the amount of information on just the paper alone, he was scared to ask about the pencils. "I will take a booklet each of the cream and white colored paper, next I need charcoal pencils." He said while moving over to a collection of tins containing various pencils. The older man took the two booklets and put them in a basket for him to hold.

"Ah, yes of course. As for pencils I have Derwent, which was just recently founded a few years ago in the Kingdom of England, they are the best of the best. Now each collection contains at least one paper stump for effective blending, three compressed charcoal blocks for larger drawings, four tinted charcoal pencils to add a bit of natural color and highlights, two dark charcoal pencils for intense lines, three strips of natural vine charcoal for organic mark making and two natural chunky willow charcoals for broad expressive strokes." Erland said in enthused vigor before walking over and taking a sip of his still steaming cup of tea that was heated by the warmth of the fire. "The pencils are available in three grades; light, medium and dark. Do you know which one you want, or do you want a spread?" He asked

Hiccup looked at his favorite charcoal pencil, almost worn down to the nub, trying to figure out which grade it was. "That would be a medium grade, sir." Hiccup looked back up at Erland who was smiling. His cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink at his embarrassment of not knowing which grade he had.

"Moving on, there is the five or twenty-four tin collection of charcoal. The twenty-four pencil one comes in a box made from Maple with a beautiful Walnut veneer…" Hiccup looked at the most beautiful wooden box he had ever seen; the shine could be seen by the Gods in Valhalla. It felt smooth to the touch and it alone could be traded for gold. "As I said each collections comes with charcoal blocks and accessories including erasers, brushes and sharpeners. If you travel regularly you can put the pencils into a pencil wrap." Erland said as he brought out said wrap, unfurling it to show it could hold the pencils and a small selection of accessories.

"The wrap is made of full grain leather and can stand up to the elements and the test of time. So, what are you interested in, I have a deal where if you buy the twenty-four pencil box collection you get the wrap for fifty percent off."

Hiccup looked around at the various pencils, paper, and accessories. "I would like in addition to the paper, the twenty-four set collection with the wrap, that case…" He said pointing to a flat square box that could hold the paper without bending or ripping it. "…and that painting over there."

Erland looked over his shoulder to see one of his earliest works, a painting of the city of Arendelle that he had captured from a nearby hill. The painting had shown the city at the start of the morning market rush, when the entire city had woken up to buy fresh bread, fish, and other necessities. It was nearly a meter long and half a meter high, it was able to catch the entire capital with the castle in the background. Erland loved that painting and had priced it accordingly, he knew no one would be able to afford to purchase it and yet this young man wanted to buy it. "If I may ask, what are you planning to do with it? Will it be sent back home or are you going to give it as a gift for someone?" He asked politely.

"It will be a gift to Princess Elsa, she has not left the castle in some time and has lost much of her happiness, and I hope to reignite her lost happiness with at least this painting among other things." Hiccup said off handedly looking though the collections of pencils.

Erland's eyes widened slightly at the sound of Princess Elsa's name, but dared not question why the gates were closed and why the Princesses have not exited the castle in years. He knew his place in society.

"In that case then I will sell it to you and everything else for forty gold speciedaler pieces, which I believe is fair considering that is one of my most prized works."

Hiccup nodded his head and reached into his pocket for the gold. "I don't have any speciedaler pieces, but I do have gold nuggets." He said as he laid out five large nuggets equivalent to forty-five speciedaler pieces. "It is a little more than what you asked for but the extra gold is for you having to sell the gold on your own time and as a thank you for helping me with my shopping today."

Erland smiled and tipped his head at the young man's kindness. "Thank you sir, I will wrap up the painting and your purchases, just give me a moment." He said as he carefully wrapped the painting knowing it would be entertaining the future Queen herself. Once everything was loaded into Hiccups wagon, he thanked the young man again for his patronage. As the door closed with a soft bell chime, he settled back into his rocking chair, the tea still warm and his latest work still unfinished. But before he finished his older work he started on a sketch of the young man, "I will call it, 'Before He Was a King', and he will be a great king at that, such passion that young man had for the arts, that passion is what Arendelle needs right now." Erland knew full well that young man would marry Princess Elsa and be his future King. A king of Man and… Dragons.

As Hiccup was looking around the assortment of shops nestled together in a corner he overheard an argument between a mother and her child. "But mom, I have been extra good this week and you promised I could get any toy I wanted." The small brown haired child whined. The blonde haired mother just gave a sigh and mustered up the best smile she could give at that moment. "I know, but I just don't have the money for a new wagon. Priority goes to putting a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. I will buy you something else later this week." The mother said then kissed her sons head. The child pouted and turned around, crossing his arms.

Hiccup looked down at his wagon, the trim was still intact and the wheels only had a dusting of soil and pebbles on them. He let out a deep breath and calmly walked over to the pair with him pulling his wagon right behind him. The child looked up to Hiccup and then eyed the wagon with envy.

"Do you want my dra…I mean wagon young man?" Hiccup asked quickly almost letting the word dragon let slip. The young boy just blinked and looked at the wagon again. "Really?"

Hiccup nodded and smiled at the boy. "Well, I can't give it to you right now, because I need it to carry my things. But once I am done with it which should be in a few hours, you are welcome to have it."

"Is there something wrong with it and how come you don't want it?" The boy asked confused by the generosity. " _Well, I know Toothless won't be able to carry all of this plus the wagon itself. I hope Johann is in port, he mentioned he was sailing to Arendelle for new materials."_ Hiccup thought. "There is nothing wrong with it, it is just I came here by horse and I know the wagon won't survive the trip, so might as well give it to someone who will take care of it. So do you want it?"

The boy only smiled, "of course mister, and thank you so much for this gift."

"You are most welcome; is there a place I can find you in an hour or two?" Hiccup asked the mother, "well, there are two trees before the bridge to the castle, we can meet you there if you wish." Hiccup nodded at this suggestion. "Well until then, have a nice day." He said and then walked off towards the docks, the sounds of wheels going over cobblestone and a boy hugging his mother with glee who was speaking of how kind some people are made Hiccup smile as he looked at the fish market coming up.

As he approached a fish vendor, he caught sight of Johann unloading some of his goods to another vendor. Smiling, he walked over to his old friend, "Johann!" he called out.

Johann looked over his shoulder and grinned at the young Viking, "Mr. Hiccup, how are you today? I hope everything is going alright with the princesses?" He asked then handed some money to the vendor he was previously talking to.

"I am very well today; thank you for asking, and the princesses are doing well too despite everything that has happened. I am trying to get their spirits up, that is why I bought a few things for them, my friends and myself. I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" He asked and then tilted his head at the wagon behind him.

Johann caught on, "let me guess you want me to take some of the things back to Berk?"

He nodded his head at the question, "If you have the time that is, I don't want you to go out of your way. Were you planning to go anywhere else in the next couple of days?"

Johann brought up his hand to his chin and stroked his beard. "Well I was planning a trip to England but any excuse to avoid paying their ridiculously high tariffs and go somewhere more welcoming is always a better choice. What will I be taking out of that little wagon?" He asked as he walked over to said wagon.

"The clothing and the painting of Arendelle. Tell Fishlegs to divvy up the clothing among the group, and tell my father to put the painting in my study. I hope he won't be busy, and I hope the island is still intact after that massive storm. I heard from a few of the townsfolk that some of the waves even crested over the walls and threw a ship onto the dock. Which I now see as true." He said pointing to a small cutter that was half on and half off a pier. Numerous sailors and guards were trying to push it back into the water. Many of the fisherman were eating their breakfast and watching the event, laughing as a sailor slipped off the dock and into the ocean.

"Aye do not worry about Berk Hiccup, that island has stood for thousands of year and no one storm will knock it out. The harbor though has probably been damaged a little, but other than that it should be fine." Hiccup nodded his head at this. Johann moved around the wagon and gathered the materials into his arms carefully to avoid crushing any one item and loaded them into the hold of the ship. Coming back onto the pier he was handed a few pieces of gold, he looked at Hiccup with a confused look. "For your troubles and speedy delivery Johann."

"Thank you Mr. Hiccup and safe travels back." The two shook hands and Hiccup picked up the handle to his wagon pulling the now lighter wagon over to the fish vendor he saw earlier.

After some haggling he was able to purchase an eighteen-kilogram Atlantic salmon intact for Toothless. He had it wrapped several times and placed it in the back of the wagon to avoid getting the art paper and gifts wet.

Looking up to the clock tower to see that it had been nearly an hour after talking to the mother and child he decided to make his way back to the castle. Once there he noticed a small dog barking close to the bridge, he went passed the white and grey colored dog and walked over to one of the guards who recognized him.

"Enjoy some shopping Mr. Hiccup?" Baro asked then chuckled, the idea of a grown man pulling a little red wagon was amusing.

Hiccup nodded his head at Baro, "I did, and do you mind taking some of this inside and up to my room?"

"Of course sir. You stay here Erik and look after the entrance." He said to the man beside him.

"Yes sir" Erik replied clicking his heels together.

He loaded the art supplies into the Guard's arms and told him to take the fish and put it into the freezer.

Once he saw Baro move into the castle, he turned around a looked at the still barking dog. "Mr.? Umm what is your name again? Hiccup asked the Guard over his shoulder. "My name is Erik, Mr. Hiccup. I am a corporal in the city garrison. And it is my turn to protect the castle gates this week."

"That is good, what can you tell me about the dog at the end of the bridge?" He asked nonchalantly.

Erik looked at the white and grey colored dog, "umm the dog has been here off and on over the last couple of weeks, and I believe it to be a stray. If an owner is not found soon, we must put it down for safety issues.

A sudden thought ran though his head as he looked at the dog, who just wanted a new owner. "What would it take for me to adopt the dog and give it to Princess Anna?"

Erik raised his eyebrows at the inquiry, "umm... I think you would need to talk to Captain Birger and see if it is safe or even allowed to have a dog in the castle. And by the way that breed is the national dog of Arendelle. It is called an Arendellian Elkhound." Erik responded and looked to see a mother and child approaching the bridge. Hiccup saw this too and checked to see if the wagon was in good shape, it was.

He called out to the young man and he got a big smile in return. After he was thanked he handed over the handle to the boy and the two set off toward their home. Hiccup smiled that he was able to make someone happy despite the previous day's events.

Hiccup asked Erik to send Captain Birger to his room when he got the chance to ask him, he nodded his head at this request.

As he made his way back to his room, Hiccup collapsed on his bed, tired from the morning's events. He swiftly fell into a light slumber thinking about that dog he had just nearly adopted and what would be Anna's reaction to her new possible pet.

A series of loud knocks woke Hiccup out of his slumber. After wiping the dust out of his eyes and straightening his clothes, he moved across the room to open the door to reveal Birger.

"Ah, Captain Birger. Come in and be seated." Hiccup said and waved his hand toward the small table near the window. After both were seated Hiccup opened the conversation about giving Anna the dog as a means of keeping her entertained. "Surely you jest? There hasn't been a royal pet on these grounds in over a hundred years." Birger stated with amusement.

"Well then I guess we are long overdue, and if you have not noticed the gates are closed and the princesses are forbidden from going outside. Thus their entertainment options are severely limited, I just want them to be happy until Elsa becomes queen and orders the gates to be opened, and that is all." He stated in a pleading voice.

Birger sighed in defeat, "I too, only wish for the princesses to be happy again. I miss the days of old when the two could play together. But seeing that the king ordered the gates closed and only a king or queen could order the gates opened, we must wait till Elsa becomes of age."

Hiccup smiled softly, it seemed the guards were quite fond of Elsa and Anna and only wanted the best for them in the future.

He looked into Birger's eyes and saw the man had aged from all the recent stressed placed upon him by the deaths of his king and queen. There were dark bags under his eyes, and his mustache has grown into a dark grey instead of its usual black. The moment news of the loss of the ship had reached his ears, he had become the protector of Elsa and Anna. Not just a body guard anymore, he was in charge of protecting their honor too. A role he could imagine Birger took very seriously. He made sure none of the guards of maids leaked anything to the gossipers outside. A smile came to his face as he looked at Hiccup.

"So, I take it the dog can live in the castle?" He asked hoping the Captain was in an adventurous mood today.

"Yes, but only partially." Birger stated back as he put his hands on his knees and leaned forward. "How so?" Hiccup asked back.

"The dog will live in the castle during the day keeping Anna happy, but at night he will sleep with the castle's garrison. We will train him to protect Anna from harm if the need ever arises, we will also take him out on walks, feed him and bathe him when necessary."

Hiccup smiled at Birger, it seemed the Captain liked the idea of having a dog around the castle as well, perhaps it was a morale booster for the men and maybe even maids. It was amazing how animals could make people so much happier.

After nearly an hour of back and forth bartering the deal was set, Birger would be given ownership of the dog, but Anna was to be his master. The two stood and shook the others hand, both smiled and Birger left to obtain the dog from the outside. It would be given a physical examination, a bath and some food. Then he would be given tags to make it official. As Hiccup moved out of the room he walked down the hallway to Anna room to tell her of the news. Turning a corner, he saw Anna poking her head out of her room to see him coming, apparently the noise coming from his leg had alerted her to his imminent presence. Perhaps he should take up a new design with one that is quieter in movements.

"Why hello Anna, how are you today?" He asked with a smile and a small bow.

Opening the door wider Anna revealed herself fully, she was wearing the same outfit she had worn since her parents were buried as was customary for the mourning process. She as well as Elsa would have to wear that for the next year. He even saw the maids and guards wear black armbands as a sign of respect for their departed king and queen.

"I am a little better, what were you and Captain Birger talking about?" She asked quietly.

Hiccup motioned to be let in and Anna nodded, moving out of the way to allow Hiccup to enter the room and sit on her bed. Anna joined him and placed her head on his shoulder, sighing as she curled into him.

"We have decided to give you a pet; a dog more specifically." Anna perked up at the mention of a pet. "Really? What kind of dog and what can we do together?" She asked as she looked at Hiccup, eyes wide and a small smile forming.

Hiccup looked and smiled, happy to see her smile for once since this whole ordeal started. "It is an Arendellian Elkhound, about twenty-three kilograms in weight and fifty centimeters high. He has a mixed black and white colored coat and I think it is about two years old. You will be able to play together during the day, inside the castle and around the courtyard. At night the guards will take the dog to their barracks where they will feed and take it on walks to train him to be your guardian. You are his master, but Birger owns him. We hope that the dog will keep you happy till a time when the gates are not closed." He explained to the young princess who was enthralled on his every word.

"Really! Oh thank you, thank you so much Hiccup, this means the world to me. Having been alone for so long, I actually had a conversation with one of the armor suits downstairs. It is a relief to be getting a companion to play with, I wonder what his name is?" Anna wondered as she brought her hand up to stroke her chin in thought.

"That is for you to decide, name him whatever you want. You will see him tomorrow after he is given a once over and is ready to meet you." Hiccup said as he stood after hearing seven bells chime, symbolizing how late in the evening it was. Where did the time go?

"Well good night Anna, I hope this gift will make your life a little more exciting."

Anna nodded her head and moved to hug Hiccup, he enveloped her in the hug, before moving away and leaving the room. He smiled to himself once he rounded the corner and made his way down the spiraling staircase to the kitchens. He felt so elated to improve Anna's life, even if it was just a little bit, he decided to reward himself. After asking that some food be brought up to his room, to which the servants responded enthusiastically. Perhaps they wanted to break up the sense of dread that had descended on the castle.

It was after he had washed his face and changed into a loose fitting tunic had he heard a knock on his door. Moving to open the door revealed a young butler who was balancing a tray on his hand and shoulder. Hiccup stepped aside to allow him to place the tray on the table and set everything up, after making sure the young monarch was taken care the butler took his leave.

Closing the door, Hiccup sat himself down to a beautiful sight of mashed potatoes, salmon and buttered rolls. The one thing he really loved about Arendelle was the food, their options were so much more than what was available on Berk. So many more species of fish, vegetables and meats. Not that he hated what he ate on Berk, it was just eating cod and yak continuously caused him to lose sense of taste sometimes. Their soil wasn't fertile enough to import seeds from Arendelle, but maybe he could talk to his dad about importing cattle for not only the milk, but the meat and leather too. So when he came to Arendelle he always gained a few pounds, to which he would promptly lose when he returned home.

After an hour of eating to his stomach's content and watching the sunset, he went into the bathroom to relieve himself and after coming out had found the dishes taken away and the bed turned down. " _I really do love this place_." He thought to himself as he slipped beneath the covers and turned in early for the night, exhausted by the day's events.

* * *

Three loud knocks roused Hiccup out of his sleep, "must it always be the door that wakes me up? Why can't there be a bell chiming or a something that doesn't give me a headache?" He said to himself as he slipped on his leg and moved towards the door. Another series of knocks alerted him to the fact that the person was growing impatient, "I'm coming, I'm coming." Hiccup called out. Opening the door revealed Captain Birger with Doctor Aaron who not only helped save his life when he was young but also taught Elsa to clean and wrap his stump when he killed the 'Red Death'.

"Mr. Hiccup the dog is ready to be taken to Anna, are you rea…, umm you might want to put on some pants sir." Birger said to him with just a shy of humor. Hiccup looked down and noticed that he was only wearing his prosthetic and some underwear, thank goodness Elsa did not see him like this for her face would have turned beet red.

"Right. Give me a moment to throw on some clothes." He said then promptly closed the door. Moving over to his chest of drawers he removed a light green tunic and some leggings, after putting on those he took his fur vest off a coat hanger and put it around himself. Looking in the mirror to see if he was presentable, he nodded his head and met the two men in the hallway.

"Right this way Hiccup, we need to go to the west side of the castle." Birger said as they walked steadily down the hall.

"I have never been to the barracks before, isn't it just behind the gardens?" Hiccup asked excited to see a new part of the castle. Having always wanted to explore more parts of the castle but not having the authority, he was finally able to see what a real barracks looked like.

Birger nodded his head at this question. "It is, the long wall that flushes against the open sea is our barracks and the dungeons is right below that. Now are you ready to see where our guards live and work?" Birger asked smiling knowing Hiccup wanted to see this area of the castle.

"Yes I am." Hiccup replied smiling right back.

"Well here we are." He said as he pushed open a heavy sounding door that creaked as it finally came to rest against the far wall. After moving forward, he saw that it consisted of a single long hallway extending to the left with living quarters for multiple men every so many yards. And when he looked to the right there was an armory, benches and tables for eating that could be moved so as to turn it into a training area and as Elsa had told him a small forge in the back. At the far end of each hallway were doors to north and south wall sections. Moving forward just a step, Hiccup looked down to see a large door built into the ground.

"Umm, is this the dungeon?" Hiccup asked pointing at the wooden door by his foot.

Birger moved forward to the far wall and retrieved a large rug to which he laid over the door.

"Yes it is, but we don't go down there anymore seeing that we don't have any enemies to torture or imprison. Now onto the small makeshift kennel we have set up." Birger replied wanting to move past the dungeon subject.

Hiccup took one last look at the dungeon rug before moving over to the small cage that held the Elkhound, who was jumping up and down to see visitors. A smile instantly came to everyone's face after seeing the energy radiating off this dog.

Birger bent down and opened the cage to which the dog bounded out of and instantly went to smell and lick everyone. The captain retrieved a leash that was placed on top of the cage and moved to secure it around the dog collar. The leather leash was about two meters in length, just long enough to keep the dog in check, but still allow him to explore with ease.

"Right, now for the house rules. The dog whom Anna will name will be allowed to explore the castle with her, except for areas such as this. The guards and I will take him out for his daily long walks, feed him and other things like training him to protect Anna from harm by way of learning simple commands and attacking hostile individuals." Birger said while the other two men nodded, agreeing to this. Continuing, Birger told them about not allowing the dog on furniture or the beds, then Aaron added about not feeding the dog any chocolates or sweets as a snack or treat and any other thing that Birger had failed to mention beforehand.

"Okay sounds good, shall I take him to Anna?" Hiccup asked extending his had outward for the leash.

Birger placed the end of the leash in Hiccup's hand to which he gripped. Giving a slight tug to get the dog's attention he nodded his head towards to door to which he trotted over to. " _Smart dog,_ " Hiccup thought. "Thank you gentlemen, I will now hand the reins over to Anna; I hope she doesn't give the poor dog a heart attack with her enthusiasm." All three men chuckled at this and wished the dog luck. Moving out of the barracks, and across the gardens, he let the animal sniff to his heart's content.

After nearly an hour of exploring the gardens and peeing on nearly every bush and tree, he led the dog away towards Anna's room. While he was knocking on the door the dog was sniffing the door cracks. Anna popped open the door just a crack to see Hiccup point down at his foot. Anna looked down and squealed, she cast open the door all the way and bent down to see the dog fully. The dog slowly moved forward to sniff the woman to which he licked and then sat down. Anna moved forward in response and began to slowly pet him on the head, while Hiccup just leaned against the door frame and watched.

"So what are you going to name him Anna?" Hiccup asked.

Anna continued to pet the dog whom was loving all the attention, "I was thinking about calling him Folgesvenn or Venn for short. And before you ask Folgesvenn means companion in our old language" Anna explained.

"Venn, huh? I like it, what do you think Venn?" Hiccup asked the dog. Who looked up at them and barked.

They let out a chuckle, "he seems to like it."

"Now, before we go any farther, I need to explain some rules to you about Venn and what he is allowed and not allowed to do."

"Okay, explain away." Anna responded nonchalantly.

Hiccup explained the rules of what she could do and not do with Venn. The three of them moved further into the room with Anna and Venn playing on the floor while he watched from a nearby chair.

"Anna may I sketch you and Venn? I want to be able to take a drawing of you two back to Berk so I can remember the happiness you two shared today. Do you mind?"

Anna shook her head from side to side, "Go right ahead."

"Alright, just let me get my supplies." He replied then moved out of the room to his quarters to retrieve some cream colored paper and a few of his charcoal pencils among other necessities.

After moving to take a seat and setting himself up via a small table he had repositioned to his liking he began to draw the bed in the background and walls. After those were done, he concentrated on Anna who was sitting on a leather bench against the end of the bed while the dog was playing at her feet. Using lighter colors for her exposed skin and darker colors for her mourning dress. He caught sight of Anna giving the dog a small smile and was able to put it into the sketch, now capturing Venn was much harder since he didn't want to stay still. After a few moments he finally came to rest against Anna's leg while looking up at her with his tongue hanging outside his mouth to the side.

Nearly an hour later, he was done with the portrait. It looked rather amazing for his first time involving Anna and a dog. The two looking at each other while smiling was a beautiful sight, he hoped that happiness could last till Elsa's coronation. Anna gave Hiccup a massive bear hug and a small kiss on the cheek for making this all possible, "thank you for everything Hiccup, I really needed this." She said as she pulled back from his cheek.

"You are most welcome Anna, have fun with Folgesvenn. And Venn keep Anna safe for me while I'm gone." He said to the two, with Venn barking in return. As Hiccup gathered his supplies and exited the room, and closed the door with a small thump, he remembered that Anna asked him about telling her why Elsa wore gloves so much. He was about to go back in and tell her, but he shook his head for he didn't want to upset or remind Anna about Elsa and how she won't come out of her room. She was happy now and did not want to ruin that now.

Instead he traveled back to his room and got fresh supplies, perhaps Elsa would allow him to make a portrait of her as well. Maybe he could write Anna a letter when he got back home.

After knocking on Elsa's door and pushing the door forward and then locking it, he saw that Elsa was watching the fire from the couch, a bored expression on her face.

"Hiccup, did I hear a dog barking or was that my imagination?" She asked as she moved her legs, so he could sit down.

Hiccup nodded his head, "You were not imagining it that was a dog barking. Anna is now the proud master of an Arendellian Elkhound. I saw him out on the streets and convinced Birger to adopt him. Folgesvenn will keep Anna happy and content while you continue your training and studies." Hiccup said then smiled as he leaned down against Elsa. In response she rested her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. "That was very nice of you, me and Anna are blessed to have you." She told him while snuggling onto his chest, trying to breathe in his scent. Nothing beats the smell of pine forest and mint, especially if it is coming from someone you love.

"Elsa?"

"Hmm? What is Hiccup?"

Hiccup took his hand and started to run his fingers along the length of her back. "I was wondering if I can sketch you, I want to take a picture of you home to remember your beauty. Would that be alright?" He asked her using his 'please do this for me' voice.

Sure enough Elsa nodded her head at his request. "Alright Hiccup, you can sketch me, just don't show this to any of your friends; especially Snotlout. That man creeps me out and the fact that he treated you with depravity, was not lost on me. I am amazed you actually consider him a friend at all." Elsa commented offhandedly.

"To be fair, he has gotten a little bit better towards me, sure he makes fun of me and stuff. But he stopped beating me up after I got taller than him." He said then smiled remembering the looks on Snotlout's face when he finally outgrew him.

Hiccup tried to move but Elsa was squarely on top of him, letting out a laugh and poking Elsa in the side to get her attention. "Hmm, what is it Hiccup?"

He just presented her form to herself, showing that she was preventing him from moving.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I just got comfortable." She said then moved off of him and to the far side of the couch.

Hiccup followed her and bent down, then kissed her. "Never apologize for being on top of me or for being comfortable my dear." He said then moved out of the room leaving a blushing Elsa.

"Mercy, that man knows how to get my cheeks warm." She said then felt the heat coming off her face with her gloved hands.

After a few minutes he returned with his sketching pad, a few charcoal pencils and accessories. He then got situated with himself on the couch and asked Elsa to take a seat in the high chair she always used to read on.

"Charcoal? Not colored pencil?" She asked confused.

"Nope, I want a regal picture of you, one that shows poise and elegance. Are you alright with that?" He asked making sure she was still ready to be drawn.

"Yes. Just give me a few seconds to get ready." She said then fixed her hair, sat up properly and laced her hands together on her lap. "Okay, I am set."

Hiccup nodded and set about drawing the background, the chair she sat on and her hands, then moved upwards. A small blush came to his face as he sketched her torso region, she filled out her dress more than Anna did. A fact that Hiccup was happy with, but still unused to.

Elsa breathed in and out slowly, making sure she did not move her body or face that much, she didn't want to cause problems for Hiccup. She did notice a small blush radiating off Hiccup but he quickly lowered his face to just below the sketch pad that rested on his right arm.

Moving up to the neck he saw that Elsa had a neutral almost bored look.

"Elsa can you give me a small smile? And you can move your hands and body if you want to, all that is done."

She relaxed her shoulders and flexed her hands nervously that she would accidentally shift her face somehow, thus messing up the picture. She gave him what he wanted, a small relaxed smile. One that would make him want to go out and kiss her right then and there.

When Hiccup saw her smile, he almost got up and kissed her, but remembered he had to be professional; though he would kiss her later. That smile made her look so beautiful, he knew that she would become an amazing Queen.

Once he got over his thoughts of wanting to assault her face with his lips, he started on her chin and moved upwards. Wanting to get the detail just right he spent extra-long on her eyes and smile. After nearly an hour, he was done. He invited Elsa over to see the end result.

"Amazing Hiccup, you seriously have skill with your hands, it is a mirror image of me." She said then kissed him and sat on his lap. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled into his embrace. The two took a brief nap in that position before waking up to the bell chiming outside, announcing it was midafternoon.

"Elsa?" He asked softly.

"Hmm? What is it Hiccup?" She replied.

"I was wondering if you remember what 'Pachelbel's Canon' sounded like? I know it is a weird request but I can't seem to get the beginning right. Would you mind humming it for me?" Hiccup asked in a small pleading voice.

Elsa nodded her head at his request and began to hum Pachelbel's Canon. He almost got lost in his memory of the time that he heard the song be played in this castle so many years ago. He gripped Elsa's hand slightly getting her attention. She stopped humming and turned her attention back towards Hiccup. "I have another request. I was wondering if you would dance with me while you hum the song? I know I am asking a lot, but I would love to dance with you right now. If you cou…" He asked but got cut off.

"Hiccup you can stop begging; I will dance with you. Even though personally I don't like to dance, I will for you." She smiled as she got off him and moved towards the clearing in the middle of the room. She held her hand out as she waited for him to take her hand to lead.

He slowly got up and advanced toward her, taking her right hand in his left and placing his right hand on the small of her back in a closed position. She began to hum the music and he began his movements. Slowly getting the feel for her movements, though he stumbled a bit thanks to his foot, thankfully she was there to catch him. "This reminds me of when you taught me to walk again after the Red Death. Do you remember?" He asked softly.

Elsa nodded her head as she continued to hum the soft music of Pachelbel.

A little later on she stopped humming and they just swayed back and forth, while resting her head on his shoulder and him resting his head on her head. They just relaxed and felt at ease in each other's embrace.

"Elsa? Can you promise me something?" Hiccup asked out of the blue.

"Hmm…?" She asked breathing in the beautiful smell of the forest.

Hiccup drew his head back and brought his hand up and tipped Elsa's chin up to make her look at him. Elsa was almost hypnotized by Hiccups deep green eyes, "will you dance with me at your coronation? Just like this, but a little more professional. That way we won't cause a stir among the foreign elite. If you could do that for me, I would be in your debt for a considerable time frame." He said then wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Elsa causing both of them to laugh.

Elsa smiled and nodded, "I can do that for you Hiccup, and you have done so much for me and Anna, it only seems right that I repay you in whatever way I can. I promise to dance with you and only you at my coronation." She replied then kissed him on the lips sealing the promise.

"Which reminds me, I have something for you." She said as he pulled out of the embrace and moved towards her dresser which had an item covered in brown paper and tied with a piece of string in the top drawer. Recovering the item, she moved over to give it to Hiccup who took it with an arched eyebrow.

"Go on and open it. I had Gerda go into town and purchase one for you, it isn't much but I hope it will improve your mobility even if it is only a little." Elsa said to him then clasped her hands and lips together nervously.

Hiccup untied the string and unwrapped the paper to reveal a long cream colored sock.

"A sock Elsa?" He was thoroughly confused as to why his partner would give him a sock of all things. Personally he would have preferred a belt or new leggings, but a sock wasn't really high on his list of things needing to be purchased.

Elsa took the sock from him and held it up to his face, he slowly noticed that it did not have the characteristics of a traditional sock. "It is a sock, yes, but not for your foot. It is for your stump. It is a stump sock."

"The special fibers are meant to wick moisture away from the skin and prevent the growth of bacteria and odor in the sock. The sock will feel soft next to your skin, and insulate it against the cold; it is three layers thick. There is also added padding at the bottom where you stump makes contact with the metal prosthetic." She said as she showed him the ins and outs of the sock. "I know it isn't much, but you know how much I care about you and I just want to..." She was about to finish but was cut off.

"Elsa...Elsa I get it. And I love it. I never thought about something like this. As of late I have been tying the remaining length of my pants leg around my stump and just dealing with my condition like that. Thank you so much so caring about me, it is refreshing." Tears were coming out the corners of his eyes as he spoke. "I knew there was a reason why I fell in love with you. If not for your amazing beauty and kindness it is for your unflinching loyalty and love for me. I will love you till the end of time and then after." He spoke softly as he thumbed the small of her back and he brought her into a close embrace, the sock pressed between them.

Elsa smiled, touched by his beautiful words and actions. She gripped his strong arms and shoulders and kissed him with a determined passion. He tilted his head to get a better angle. Elsa loved moments like this, she forgot about her powers, Anna, and everything else. _"As long as I have Hiccup, I don't need anyone or anything else in my life."_

After several moments of kissing and feeling he pulled back from the kiss; "ooh, that reminds me. Not to be outdone with the gift giving." He said then pulled out of the embrace and went back to his room.

Seconds later he returned with the sketch of Anna. "Here, I think you deserve this more than I at the moment." He presented the sketch of Anna and Venn to Elsa, tears came to her eyes after not seeing her sister in so long. Anna looked absolutely beautiful and Venn looked so happy next to her. She blinked rapidly trying to get rid of the tears, but they kept coming.

Hiccup panicked, worried that he had upset her.

"I'm sorry Elsa, I shouldn't have shown you something you can't see for another few years. Forgive me of my stupidity." He said as he gathered her into his arms, then kissed her head.

"No, it isn't that. It is just that she looks so beautiful and I am happy to see her happy and content. Thank you so much Hiccup for everything, I love you." Elsa replied then smiled.

"I love you too Elsa." The two kissed and stayed in each other's arms for what felt like hours.

* * *

A week later he did the same thing to Anna, presenting her with the portrait of Elsa with similar results. Though minus the endearing words of romance and kissing. Anna held onto the portrait and hanged it up on her wall, this would allow her to be content till then coronation. She would not knock on Elsa's door again.

After two weeks of doing various things to keep everyone happy including Toothless when he found the time. He decided to make himself happy by spending a few hours in the library, when Elsa was receiving a lesson from one of her teachers. After laying a few pillows and blankets down on the floor against a far wall, he decided to read a few engineering books that caught his eye. Turning the knob on the lantern to give him a stronger flame to read with, he plopped down and began to read about 'Ancient Rome.'

Turning the page, he found himself looking at a sketch of a Roman Aqueduct. He then learned how the water would flow from high ground down through these aqueducts to various cities and homes that were on lower ground. " _Ingenious"_ he thought, " _I bet this engineering could help us with our fire problem, with a few little adjustments of course."_ Slowly the gears in his mind began to churn.

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : I must say listening to romantic styled music while writing make's it so much easier and smoother. I recommend _Whitesnake, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, and Journey_ among others. Happy listening and see you all later.


	13. Proposals and Promotions

**Authors Notes** : So, this took a wee bit longer than I thought it would. This is the first chapter under my full-time schedule, I had a bit of writers block and I wanted this chapter to be just right. I want to thank all of those who have favorited, left a review or added this story to their alerts. This chapter is really long: 23,000 words plus long. Sorry, once you get into one of those writing moods you just don't want to stop. This chapter has characters that may seem a little out of character, it is a major departure from the original story line and it contains the one thing you all have been waiting for.

Shout-outs: _Lyrasloon_ \- Elsa did meet Toothless, but still its a dragon and enough time apart from anything can cause people to forget their courage over such things. _Noctus Fury_ : There were three paintings, one of Arendelle which he gave to Johann to send home, one of Elsa which he gave to Anna and one of Anna/Venn which he gave to Elsa, sorry for the confusion. And sorry but as I wrote before Anna sees Hiccup as a brother, not a lover. As for the maids and ladies, maybe. V _fuertejr_ : thank you for your comments. Same to you _Guest_.

I kind of wish there were more reviews and I was afraid that the previous chapter bored you all, so I went all out on this one. Fights, arguments, character deaths and of course love. I want to give a big shout out to RandomReader7, he really helped me out in regards to English Composition and for bouncing ideas off his head for future chapters. So, RR7 I tip my hat to you.

 **Important Edit** : As a result of the most recent reviews bringing to light how they disagree with certain main characters being violent, I must point out that this is chapter has received a **high T-rating**. Also I should mention that this story in the long run will be more adult oriented including but not limited to violence, adult language, addiction, spousal disagreements and adult politics. This story is not going to have a happy fairy tale ending. Abandon the idea that Hiccup and Elsa are angelic and can do no wrong, they are humans and can be seduced by power and the wrong things. This story will become more and more gritty with each chapter, so be warned if this rubs you the wrong way. If you don't mind all this political talk then please keep reading and reviewing.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** ** _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How To Train Your Dragon._**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 _Proposals and Promotions_

Elsa cast her gaze at the portrait of her sister and Venn that Hiccup had drawn for her over two years prior. Her twenty first birthday was only two weeks away and she was hoping Hiccup could drop by for another visit. Her studies were getting more and more complicated and lengthy. Most of her time was being filled by the council of generals, ministers and advisors that were teaching her everything from foreign affairs to current things going on in her future kingdom. They asked her what she would do in possible situations or how she would react if a foreign government levied a tariff against them. Slowly she was becoming the future queen they wanted her to be.

She however just wanted to sleep, read, eat and think about Hiccup. Think about how much easier his life was than hers. Sure he was in line to become Chief of Berk, but it was a tiny land mass compared to Arendelle. With less people, enemies and potential problems. That and he did not have to worry about the possibility of freezing his kingdom. " _Perhaps he wo…"_ she thought, but then a series of rapid knocks made themselves known.

"Princess Elsa, you have a letter from Hiccup Haddock of Berk." A young butler announced through the door.

Getting up from the bed and crossing over the small distance she opened the door to reveal the young man, no older than her. "Your highness, an honor it is to meet you. Here is the letter from Mr. Haddock." He said then handed it to her, after drawing his hand back he bowed and walked down the hallway.

Closing the door, she thought, " _hmm, he was rather nice. Perhaps I should reacquaint myself with my staff, I haven't had a nice bath in a while. And it is time that I meet the other handmaidens who will be assisting me on my coronation day_." Elsa let out a sigh at the thought of the coming months and what they would hold for her. She looked down at the letter and strode over to her chair to read its contents. She and Hiccup had exchanged letters more and more since her parents died, he even told her that he was writing Anna too. He wanted to keep her spirits up and he also wanted to check on Venn.

Venn had grown from what she saw from her window or was told to her by her instructors when they passed him in a random hallway. She hoped Venn could keep Anna happy just a little while longer, then maybe she could repair her relationship with her sister while thanking Hiccup for his continued love.

Sitting down she unfurled the letter and began to read about all the additions Hiccup had done to the village including an aqueduct system which was able to not only transport water from a recently constructed water tower, but also put out any fires that were accidentally started by the dragons themselves along its path. He included several drawings and sketches of Berk and his new inventions.

" _Dear Elsa, I hope you have been well_ ; _life has been very good as of late. I have explored distant lands, fended off Daggur and his allies and convinced my father to start several new construction projects for Berk. Do not worry about Daggur, he is not the smartest sword in the forge. Situations may get dicey at times, but I always find a way to defeat him with Toothless' help of course. I still have my head, both hands and one foot; everything is good._

 _Berk has never been better, our trade with other tribes has been flourishing, the fishing is plentiful and thanks to your shipments of medicine and ice our people are healthy than ever. Astrid for the most part has been leaving me alone except for the occasional hand grab or trying to put her arm around me. She more or less has accepted that you and I are an official couple, to which I am grateful. I took most of my ideas from the books in your libraries, I copied the technologies of the past and tweaked them a little to serve us better. Though not all of them worked out so well, the public bath house was a bad idea. The horrors I saw, there was so much hair; I will never be able to erase those images from my mind. That building was converted into a place to boil water for safe consumption._

 _Other improvements include multiple hangars for the dragons that are built into the island, we used tunnels that had been dug by Whispering Death's which are a Boulder class dragon who burrow their way under the ground to avoid detection. One of the hangars looks over the docks and the other is right next to the water tower which was converted from a defunct catapult. We even have a wind mill to mash grain with. I must say life is very good now with the additions and a bit easier to move around in with dragons having their own space and sleeping quarters instead of on houses._

 _Besides all the additions and improvements, I wanted to ask you something very important regarding your birthday. I asked my father and he said 'yes' to my idea, that being you staying here to celebrate your birth. I am even building a place for you to stay in whenever you visit. Your new home will have all the items you have come to expect to be in a house with the added benefits to having a partner who loves to add parts to anything. In essence it is easily upgradeable whenever you want something more. I recently added a limestone pit to the back of my house to store fish in, when one puts ice into the pit followed by fish and then more ice, the food stays fresher longer. We don't have to worry about running low on food during the winter months because of these new pits. I… actually never mind about that, I hope you will consider the idea of spending your birthday with me and everyone else. We all miss you especially the twins and Fishlegs; apparently you made a big impression on them._

 _Songgletog is in eleven days and I want to see you there, I know asking you to spend Christmas with me is a tall order. I hope you decide soon, since convincing Captain Birger to sail in winter or gathering the supplies together that are needed to undertake a trip_ _will take some time._

 _I know this is last minute to ask, but I really do hope that you spend some time with me before your coronation in seven months. You will make a fantastic Queen and there is something else I must ask you, but I can only do it in person. And with that I must stop for Trader Johann is about to leave port. I hope to see you soon. Faithfully Yours, Love Hiccup."_

Underneath the signature was a crest of Berk. As Elsa reread the last paragraph she wondered what was the question he needed to ask. Slowly the gears in her mind began to churn, " _hmm what if he wants me to live there permanently? No, no it can't be that. What if he wants me to pick out my own dragon to have as a gift? Maybe. What is a question that can only be asked in person?"_ Slowly her eyes widened and a massive blush came to her cheeks. " _He wants to ask for my hand in marriage, his father finally told him and he wants to be romantic. Yes, yes that has to be it!"_ She was beside her herself, she felt so happy wanting to be with him at that very moment.

She almost got up onto the bed to jump on for the sheer joy. It was there that she decided she would go to Berk to celebrate her birthday, all she needed to do was convince Kai and her advisors to let her; she wasn't a queen yet, but she was still a princess.

She waited till dinner to ask one of the butlers to find Kai and Captain Birger and bring them to her.

There was a knock on her door while she was eating her broccoli and steak with a glass of red wine.

"Come in." She called out.

The two men filed into the bedroom with ease where they bowed out of respect and tradition.

"You asked for us your highness?" Kai asked as he recovered from his bow.

Elsa wiped her mouth with napkin, then deposited it on the table besides her plate.

"Yes I did. I received a letter from Hiccup asking me to spend my birthday with him and to also attend Snoggletog which is an annual winter holiday there. I believe it takes the place of Christmas. I intend to send out a letter later today saying that I will accept his invitation. What I need from you two is to prepare a ship for travel as soon as possible. Today is the seventh, and I wish to arrive in Berk by the seventeenth, because Snoggletog is on the eighteenth. That gives you six days to make the trip a reality, not including the four days for travel to Berk." Elsa said then took another sip of her wine, she had started to consume wine when she grew bored of water and tea. She really liked the pinot noir, it was subtle and not as strong as the other red wines, it felt right with her.

Captain Birger stepped forward and bowed a second time, "with respect your highness, a trip this far into the winter season is dangerous, only one of our ships is an icebreaker and she hasn't sailed against ice in years. The ship has really only been used for trade runs to the Southern Isles; and to have her sail into ice sheets we would need to prepare her properly first. Something which takes longer than a week. Perhaps once the ice sheets melt, then we can make a trip in March or April. To go now, would be too dangerous."

Silence hung in the air for a few moments, to say 'no' to a princess was dangerous especially when she next in line to become ruler of their kingdom. He swore to protect Elsa, and he would follow that promise even if it meant denying her something she desperately wanted.

"No." Elsa replied simply.

"I beg your pardon your highness." Birger asked out loud.

She stood up from her seat and advanced two steps, both men took two steps back and bowed again.

"That is not a good enough excuse Captain, we are going and that is an order." The eyes on both men widened and they looked at each other with a side long glance. It was the first time she had ever said no or went against her advisors.

"You both know what Hiccup means to me, he is my everything and I have been stuck in this castle for far too long, I need this and I hope you will make this trip a reality. I…I beg that you have a ship prepared and fit to sail in a week's time. I believe God will allow us to travel the sea without being harassed by ice." She said as she brought us a gloved hand to her chest. " _Either that or I will use my powers to will away the ice, I think I can manage that. I hope."_

Kai was very proud of Elsa at this moment, he had watched her grow up from day one to become a very kind, if shy woman. He was glad to see that she was serious about her studies and love for Hiccup. Everyone in the castle respected and loved Hiccup, some of the handmaidens and maids fawned over him when they passed him in a hallway or room. Halle was the luckiest of the all since she gave him a bath, he remembered when he had to tell her to stop telling the single ladies so much about the young Viking, it looked bad and encouraged the wrong attitudes toward Hiccup.

He was glad that Princess Elsa had not found out about the way her servants thought for her partner. And if she wanted to see Hiccup this badly, then he would do whatever it took to make her happy. "I can arrange to have the supplies to be ready by the twelfth, do you want Gerda and Doctor Aaron to come with you again your highness?" Kai asked all of a sudden. Prompting a smile from Elsa and a ghost frown from Birger.

"Yes, that would be very acceptable Kai, I wish to have the same people who came last time to come with me this time. Less stressful for the dragons and everyone else. Captain Birger, what is your answer?"

Birger let a breath out through his nose, knowing he had lost. He could say no and risk angering his future queen which was not the best idea especially if he would need something from her in the future regarding his men. But if he said yes and something did occur and she was hurt, then he would be blamed for not protecting her enough. Though, there was the chance that everything could go perfectly and nothing bad would happen, just like last time. He would need to pray extra-long tonight.

"I can have the ship made ready by the thirteenth, and we can set sail the next day, arriving for Snoggletog that morning as long as we have good weather. This would give you three days to relax before your birthday on the twenty first. Is that good enough your highness?" He asked as he clicked his heels together and snapped to attention. "I will also inform your advisors and the council of your decision and make all necessary arrangements regarding your trip."

"Thank you both for your diligence and loyalty, I will not forget this and I will not forget your kindness toward me or Hiccup. Please send in Gerda followed by my hand maidens. I need to discuss some things with them."

"At once Princess Elsa." They both said then bowed and left the room. As Kai closed the door behind him, Gerda came up behind him. "What was all that about?"

"Princess Elsa ordered us to have a ship prepared to sail to Berk in a weeks' time. She also wants you and her personal handmaidens in her room as soon as possible, I believe she needs to tell you something." Kai moved to walk forward but Gerda stopped him. "Ordered? That is quite unlike her, she is usually very timid and reserved."

"I know, I think Hiccups forwardness and confidence is rubbing off on her. Something she will need when she becomes queen in a few months. Now I will see to the procurement of supplies for the trip, excuse me." Kai told Gerda kindly then moved further down the hall.

As Kai walked off, she went around and gathered the handmaidens together. After fifteen minutes they had gathered outside Elsa's door. Knocking twice and announcing herself and the others, she heard a faint " _come in_ " before turning the handle. Elsa was seated at the same table now reading a book and drinking some wine, but the plates and cutlery were gone.

"You asked for us your highness?"

Elsa looked up and placed a marker into the book, then placed it face down onto the table.

"Yes I did, please come in." The handmaidens did and lined up then bowed; after recovering Elsa continued.

"I wish to apologize for not talking to you all as much, there have been many negative occurrences in my life that have changed my view on the world, but as of late they have gotten better. I hope you will all forgive me and actively seek a friendship with me. I will need your companionship in the coming months and your advice in the coming years." Elsa said then bowed her head as an apology.

The hand maidens were surprised; they had never seen a royal apologize for anything. Their respect for this young princess increased tenfold. They had all watched her with withdrawn glances for only Gerda was allowed to take care of her, but now since she was only seven months away from becoming queen the six of them had been picked as her personal hand maidens. For years they had served quietly and diligently, through the happy young years then the silent ones to just recently when she was becoming happy again all because of that young Viking.

Each had different views of their princess from why she never talked to her sister to why she always kept to herself, but they all swore that they would do whatever it took to make the castle livelier and brighter once again. They missed the days of balls, celebrations and even the occasional meeting, anything to bring in foreigners or council members into the now empty palace.

Slowly one by one took a step forward, and bowed. Alexandra, Janne, Karin, Hanna, Lucia and Theresa all accepted their Princess's apology. "We will continue to serve you and the household with loyalty and honor your highness." They all said in unison.

"Thank you all, and now I wish to announce something of most importance." She said as she looked at Gerda.

Rising out of her seat and taking one step forward toward the older woman. "I hereby proclaim you, Gerda Christiansen, to be my lady-in-waiting. I hope you accept this position and will continue to serve me and my family till you see fit." Elsa said then took a step back, and bowed slightly, a smile forming on her face.

The six handmaidens all slapped softly at the news, they all had accepted Gerda as their superior and friend, but now to see it made official was very welcoming.

Gerda made a full bow and upon recovering, "I will accept this position with integrity and promise to serve you and your family many years to come. I thank you for this title, your highness."

"Now that we are done with that" she said softly, "I wish to feel clean; Lucia and Theresa please have a bath prepared. The rest of you can help Gerda with preparations for my upcoming trip."

"At once your highness." They said in unison and went to fulfill their duties.

For the rest of the day she felt happy to bring happiness to others, and to revive old friendships. She just needed to do the exact same thing to Anna when the time came for her to repair her relationship with her sister. But not yet.

A week passed by with amazing speed; she watched out her and the library's windows as the ship was prepared to sail. Hundreds of kilos of oil, food, medicine, and equipment were loaded into the hull of the clipper icebreaker. She had noticed that additional wood and steel was secured to the bow and keel to protect against icebergs and sheets. She was also told that they would leave early morning on the fifteenth and would take three and a half days to get to Berk for a Northerly wind and clear skies was predicted. Perhaps she could aid in their travel by conjuring up a light storm to give them additional speed, only problem was that she had never attempted to practice with her powers except for the occasional snow ball.

Perhaps while in her cabin or on the upper railing she could give it a try, as long as no one was around of course.

Soon enough it was time to go, she had prepared her travel trunk and let Kai know about what she was taking. She had asked Gerda to retrieve a few things in the city for gifts for Hiccup and the others for Snoggletog. A few kilos of fine leather would surely make Hiccup happy among the other things she had gotten for him. Her lady-in-waiting was already outside her room door when she had opened it, ready to make another trip to Berk.

As she crept passed the old clock in the hallway, she looked to its face, it was barely four in the morning. Only a few servants and guards were awake, most were still sleeping in their beds. The platoon of guards that were assigned to protect her were already on the boat or dock waiting for her. She was glad the same men and women were coming from the last trip, it would be much easier on the dragons and Hiccup; he would be happy to know that no one uttered a word of dragons to anyone else when they had gotten back from the first trip. The loyalty of her countrymen astounded her to no end.

She moved slowly passed Anna's room, she stilled for a moment to hear the soft snores of Venn and her sister. She smiled softly and touched the door with her hand, " _I love you Anna, one day I will make everything all better, but not yet_."

Moving through the barracks she saw men standing at attention and making last minute preparations for the trip, she took a step outside the castle and stopped. Taking a look around she saw that it had rained lightly from previous night, to which the private dock was still wet. Small waves lapped against the hull of the boat and the breeze had the smell of salt, it was relaxing. The sun had yet to come up, but it was not dark.

"Your highness, are you ready?" Gerda asked, bringing her attention back to the present.

Elsa nodded, then took a step forward followed by another and another till she was onboard and in her private cabin in the back. Taking a look around, she saw a single bed under a large window with a chest of drawers to the left with a mirror attached and a table and chair to the right. Her things had already been unpacked and placed in their correct places. A large area rug was beneath her feet and stretched to nearly the entire room. A door to a possible water closet was against the right wall with a storage closet door on the opposite side.

All she needed to do now was wait; something she was a master at. She had learned to drink wine and read lengthy books to make the time go by faster; she had also taken up more activities such as learning new languages or practicing remembering important leader's names followed by their adjutants and family members. Putting her personal things away she laid down on the bed and took a nap till breakfast was delivered. Once she finished her meal and the dishes were taken away she resigned herself to reading.

The day flew by till she was preparing for bed, as she laid against the wall looking out on the calm sea all she could do was think of Hiccup and imagine what he was doing at that moment.

"I hope everything will look amazing when I arrive, it will be my first Snoggletog" she chuckled at the name.

She could still remember when Hiccup had told her about it and how stupid the name was. "I can't wait till we arrive and Hiccup proposes, then he will be mine forever and Astrid won't be able to do anything to break us apart. It will be perfect." She said sleepily before surrendering herself to the soft sheets and pillows.

* * *

"Dammit, it's still not perfect!" Hiccup yelled as he threw a hammer out of the structure he was currently working in. He had received a reply letter from Elsa, stating that she would accept his invitation and would be leaving within a week. That was well over a week ago meaning she was due to arrive in three days. He had talked to his father about building Elsa her own home, to which Stoick was very happy with. Hiccup was surprised to say the least; he believed he would have to fight using every tooth and nail he had to get permission.

Stoick had told him to come by later today for he had major news to tell him. It was probably more talks about becoming Chief, something he was still against. He would eventually take on those duties, but he wanted to wait another two or three years. There were still many lands he wanted to map out or dragons to discover.

Besides he needed to tell his father about wanting to ask Elsa for her hand in marriage. It took many tries but he was able to create a simple silver ring, nothing too extravagant, but it got the point across. Plus, the smooth ring wouldn't get caught on her gloves or tear it apart from an addition of a pointy gem. " _I believe we are ready to take that next step, she and I will make a formidable couple, one that will change the landscape of our two kingdoms for the better. All we need is_ …" "Hey Hiccup!" Someone shouted. Hiccup glanced out a window to see Fishlegs approaching.

"Hey Fishlegs, what do you need?" He replied back.

His large friend had gained a few kilos over the years, he even gained a few hairs on his chin. He was still trying to swoon Ruffnut for some reason. The woman would beat him senseless, but the man kept at it.

"Your father wants to talk to you and make it quick we are getting ready for a game of Dragon Racing." Fishlegs said then pointed to his other friends flying by on their respective dragons, and waved at them.

Taking a glance at the sun, it was already high noon. Time sure flew when dreaming about the future.

"Alright Fishlegs, just do me a favor and attach this door to the frame and make sure the lock works."

"Will do Hiccup." He said as he moved to get a grip on the tall door.

"Thanks." Hiccup replied, then moved towards the forge.

Moving down the sloped hill, he made his way through the village waving or giving the occasional nod to his fellow Vikings. If he hadn't discovered that dragons could be tamed, he would still have been that runt of a Viking everyone had called him as he grew up. But now he was a respected warrior that everyone and anyone could depend on. He was happy and still haunted for shooting down Toothless, he gained a friend by permanently wounding him. But now that he too had lost an appendage, he believed they were fated to stay together. Casting a gaze over his shoulder, his dragon friend whom he felt was his own brother was following him with a bored expression. Perhaps he would take Toothless on another flight to that large island he had seen on the horizon a few days ago.

"Hiccup!" He heard his father shout as he was banging on a piece of iron in the forge next to Gobber. People were picking up their orders they had put in days prior, they had yet to put out the wreaths and trees for Snoggletog; but he could see people were happier none the least. He was excited to have Elsa come and spend her birthday with him and with what he had planned, she was not going to forget it. All he needed was to write a little speech and hoped she would accept his proposal. He was ninety-nine percent sure she would say yes, but the other one percent had him entombed in ice from her emotions getting out of control. Hopefully Toothless would be nearby and he could thaw his human brother out.

"Yeah dad, what is it?" Hiccup asked moving into the forge and ducking under some belts.

"There is something important I need to tell ye. I have been putting it off for years and I should have told ye many moons ago, but now I must tell ye the truth." Stoick said as he put his hammer down and stood up straight.

Hiccup moved to lean against some raw leather that had been laid down on a counter some ways away. "I too need to tell you something important."

The two looked at each other for a moment, the only sounds being made came from Gobber at the back of the shop. Silence hung in the air before Stoick finally spoke up. "I remember the last time we were in a situation like this, I wanted to tell ye that I decided to put ye into dragon training and ye were about to say that ye can't kill a dragon. So to avoid another disaster, I will let ye go first."

Hiccup remembered that event quite well, he wondered what would have happened if he had gone first and had even told his father about Toothless. Perhaps Stoick would have believe him about being able to tame a dragon, but that was only wishful thinking. He knew his father would have slayed Toothless and punished him severely for keeping something like that from him. All in all, him going into battle against the Green Death and losing his leg was worth it to prove that humans and dragons could coexist. Besides it was from that event he gained Elsa as a partner and now he was on the threshold of gaining her as a fiancée and future wife.

"Thank you dad. I have done a lot of thinking and planning and I have made a decision. I intend to ask Elsa for her hand in marriage. I know you want me to become Chief first and I will but not now, maybe a few years down the trail after Elsa has become Queen. But for now I want to keep exploring and discovering new dragons and islands. Once that is done, then I will replace you as Chief. Do I have your permission to ask Elsa to be my wife?" Hiccup said in one massive breath as he wondered around the shop, giving the occasional glance toward him.

Stock was elated and proud that his son had gathered up the confidence to plan something like this for Elsa. Arendelle and Berk would finally become powerful allies in the region. All the things in the contract that had been held back until the two would wed could now be implemented. Full trade and partnerships could be realized; livestock and wealth could be shared. Arendelle may not have had a large navy, but they did have a large army and was advanced in medicine and weaponry. His dreams of Berk being protected from bigger and more powerful rivals could now be recognized. He had heard from Johann about a group of islands known as the Southern Isles was starting to act aggressively in expanding their territory northward. He needed to make sure Arendelle would block that kingdoms aspirations before they discovered their dragons. The sooner Hiccup and Elsa marry the better.

But he had to make sure that Hiccup was chief when Elsa would make the announcement about their engagement. It would look better to have Elsa announce that she was marrying a chief instead the son of a chief. Besides he was ready to retire, he really needed a break from everything and was ready to become an advisor at the table of elders. He just needed to ease Hiccup into that role.

"Son, it would be a great honor to marry ye and Elsa when ye are ready. You have my permission to ask Elsa to be yer wife." He said slowly then smiled.

A smile came to Hiccups face, he was so happy to make his son cheerful. The two of them had grown closer over the past five years, he kept his promise to treat his son better and made sure to include him in everything and anything that had come up. Stoick slowly and subtlety trained Hiccup to become his replacement from putting him into leadership roles to having him learn archery, sword fighting and medical treatment. His son had a knack for politics and could negotiate with other Vikings to find a peaceful solution even when they believed there was none.

His son's friends would become his advisors and he saw Fishlegs becoming Hiccups chief advisor, the man had a gift for memorizing entire books with ease. The twins could be his guards, Snotlout his aide and Astrid could be his emissary. Though his son could choose the roles however he wished, he was just putting in his two coins.

"But… but you must become Chief before ye two marry, that is my only stipulation. It will look better when she makes the announcement that ye be a chief instead of a son of a chief. Plus, I am ready to retire and pass the torch onto ye. I am getting older and am prepared to become an elder at the table. You must step up and lead yer fellow Vikings Hiccup." Stoick said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, not willing to give an inch on the matter.

Silence hung in the air for a moment before Hiccup spoke up.

"No." Hiccup said shaking his head back and forth. "I am not ready to become the chief dad, that is something for you, not me. You were born to lead, I was born to explore and create. I am not ready for the responsibility to lead an entire village; I'm still trying to figure myself out. Let someone else do it. Astrid would be an excellent choice. She can do it and has the capability of doing it." Hiccup said in a rushed tone as he slowly stepped back from his father.

"I am sorry son, but this is not up for negotiation. You will replace me and become Chief of Berk, and if you don't I will not let you marry Elsa." Stoick countered.

Hiccup's mouth dropped open, amazed that his father would go this far. "That is not something that should be held from me, I deserve to be happy. Everyone treated me like a runt for years, even you ignored me and the one person who does love me and who will accept my proposal, you're going to try and prevent just so you can retire. Unbelievable."

Hiccup turned around and marched out of the forge heading straight for Toothless. "Son, stop now!" Stoick called out still in the forge.

Hiccup kept ignoring his father as he strapped himself onto Toothless and the two took off heading away from Berk. The flapping of wings fading into the distance.

"Dammit!" Stoick yelled as he slammed his fists onto the table, causing a crack to form in the wood.

"Yer sure messed up my old friend, but don't worry er will be back. Just give im some time to vent." Gobber voiced as he came out of the back room holding a bundle of leather in his arms. "But personally, yer should not have had that requirement for im to become chief first. Ye know how the boy feels about her and becoming chief. Yer should have talked to Elsa and see if she could talk some sense into the boy." Gobber voiced as he started to stitch two leather pieces together.

Stoick nodded his head and took a seat on a nearby stool. "I just want the boy to have a feel for it, Gods know when he and Elsa marry he will become King of Aren… dammit!" Stoick yelled slamming his fist onto the cracked table once again, the sound of splintering wood filled the air.

"What is wrong now?" Gobber asked worried about his friend and his now severely damaged table.

"I was going to tell him about the contract, but I was so happy to think of what the marriage would bring to Berk, I overlooked to actually tell him about how he doesn't even need to propose since they were arranged at birth. I am such a horrible father." Stoick said feeling deflated.

Gobber moved over to his friend and patted him on the back. "Ye really are."

Stoick looked up and narrowed his eyes at his prosthetic filled friend. "I mean who forgets about something for that long and right when ye are about to tell im ye get so joyous about what the village will gain instead of the happiness yer own son would gain. Ye really need to just let Hiccup have what he wants for once. And he will become chief when he is ready."

Stoick nodded his head, "Yer right."

"I know; I have years of wisdom in these old bones." Gobber then hit his helmet with his good hand.

Standing up Stoick moved toward the open window that looked out upon the village circle, spotting Astrid he yelled at her to come over.

"What is it Chief?" Astrid said as she sprinted over to the forge.

"Find Hiccup and bring him back, I need to tell him something very important regarding Elsa."

Astrid's face scrunched up for a moment at the sound of Elsa's name, but she relaxed her face and nodded her head. "But Chief, the race is about to begin and you two need to get in your positions. Besides I'm going to win this time; me and Stormfly have been training all week."

He could see a throng of his people walking towards the newly built dragon arena.

Stoick hung his head for a moment, he had also forgotten about the Dragon Race. " _Maybe I should visit Gothi and see if she can fix my head. I shouldn't be forgetting things this often."_

"Your right, I will be there in a moment, but immediately after the race find my son."

"You got it Chief. Stormfly let's go!" She shouted as she ran over to her dragon and took off.

Gobber watched as Stoick walked back up the hill toward his home, most likely going to get his copy of the contract to show Hiccup. He slowly cast his gaze on his now ruined table, "don't worry old girl I can still fix ye." He said then patted the table softly. The sound of wood and lather snapping crackled through the room, a cloud of dust coming up from the now destroyed table.

"Well maybe not." He then took the wood and threw it into the kiln, causing immense heat to fill the forge. "Time to make a new one… after I get the ballista out of the shed." As he heard the sound of the dragon horn marking the beginning of the race. Sounds of wheels grinding and curses as he moved the heavy sheep throwing ballista into the center of the village circle.

* * *

"Princess Elsa? Ms. Elsa it is time to wake up. Your breakfast is ready." Gerda called out from the opposite side of the cabin door. She had woken up nearly an hour ago and got a head start on her day. Making a quick breakfast for herself then dressing properly and starting on making a full breakfast for her charge. A slice of ham, a few layers of cheese with jam on the side for her bread. A bowl of oatmeal and a cup of chamomile tea, her favorite. The chef for the ship was very kind and had let her use anything she needed, he had to concentrate on making food for everyone else.

Balancing the food on the tray was simple, she had become a master at it decades ago. She has served the royal family ever since she was a young teenager. Selected from a group of young maids to serve the king and queen directly she made herself known through dedication and hard work. After two decades she was promoted to head housekeeper of the castle, and ten years after that she was put on charge of taking care of Princess Elsa. But just two days ago, she was promoted to Lady-in Waiting for Princess Elsa. " _I have gone so far in my life, from a lowly maid to personal assistant for the future queen. My goodness, the years have just flown by."_ Gerda said to herself waiting to be allowed in.

"Come in Gerda." She heard through the oak door.

Turning the handle down and pushing forward she saw Elsa sitting up in her bad with a folded book laying on her lap.

"How long have you been up your highness?" Gerda asked as she placed the tray on a nearby table.

"Oh, I have been up for about half an hour. Going from a fixed castle to a moving ship needs some getting used to. And please call me Elsa or Ms. Elsa if you feel that you need to stay formal." Elsa said trying to give Gerda a small smile.

After giving a small curtsy, "oh, thank you Ms. Elsa it is an honor to be considered worthy of calling you by your first name."

"Think nothing of it Gerda, you have earned it through your dedication to my family. Now, have we encountered any ice?" Elsa said softly, worried that her powers might fluctuate with her fear of having to turn back for the ice sheets and icebergs would be too large to go through or around.

"There were some small icebergs, but the captain was able to steer around them. The maps that Hiccup and Stoick provide Arendelle every year show the paths of where ice might end up. They also show where rogue Vikings and dragons usually roam. But don't worry about them, this ship is well armed." Gerda voiced as she moved back toward the door.

"Is there anything else you need Ms. Elsa?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, I believe after breakfast I will go up on the quarterdeck and watch the sea for a little while."

"Yes, that does sound nice, it is a lovely day after all." She replied as she closed the door behind her.

She took her time consuming her meats and breads, watching the morning sun ascend from its watery resting place was a beautiful sight to see. The colors alone were enough to create a masterpiece on paper, sadly she knew not how to draw or paint. That was Hiccup's realm of expertise. Setting her empty cup of tea down, she got dressed in a traditional green dress and magenta cape that she could wrap around herself if need be.

Opening up her door she moved passed the closed doors and open decks to the set of stair cases that led up to the quarterdeck. Sailors and the occasional Royal Guardsman bowing or saluting as she walked passed, she just nodded back at them. Gripping her hand around the handrail she moved upward till she was surrounded by seamen as they were maintaining the sails and ship.

"Princess Elsa, how kind of you to join us on such a lovely day." Sailing Master Hedvig told her as she sat down on a seat that was provided for her.

"It is a lovely day. A bit windy though." She replied back as a strong wind whipped around her.

Hedvig nodded his head at this. "Yes, we have a strong wind coming up from the South, quite unusual for this time of year. But because of this wind we may arrive at Berk earlier than expected."

Elsa looked from the ocean to the middle aged Sailing Master, he was a little portly with white hair and a limp on one side. "How early do you think?"

"About half a day. If this wind keeps up, we should arrive by nine or ten o'clock on the morning the day after tomorrow. These maps the Vikings have provided us are very accurate. Apparently being able to see above the clouds can create an amazing map. Not only do they show the locations of dragon nesting grounds but also where rogue Vikings or pirates like to venture. With these maps, trading between our lands will flourish if given the opportunity." Hedvig said with a note of satisfaction at the end.

"What do you think of Berk Mr. Hedvig?" She asked out of the blue.

Mr. Hedvig looked away from the map for a moment and thought for a few seconds.

"It is an island that can become a great thriving kingdom if given the chance. But its current state is much like Arendelle, it is hiding its true potential from the world. With a change in power both these lands can become the greatest the world has ever seen." He said then paused. "Many things will change when you become queen, your highness. I wish to see how you will make Arendelle beautiful again."

Elsa blushed at the high praise, but her powers fluctuated as her fears of not living up to that praise grew. Could she make Arendelle as great as her forefathers did before her?

She hoped so, perhaps with Hiccup and Berk she would be able to.

Princess Elsa, Sailing Master Hedvig, Captain of the Guard Birger and Captain Bernard of the ship watched the day sail by literally then went downstairs for dinner in the dining room. Drinks were passed out and delicious food was consumed. Elsa had learned that she could have fantastic conversations and relationships with people other than just Hiccup and Gerda. Slowly she was opening herself up to more and more people. A few eyebrows did rise when Elsa drank, ate and did everything all with her gloves on. Though no one said or commented on their princess's unusual tendency to go everywhere with those green gloves on.

" _Perhaps she hates dirt_." Captain Bernard thought as he viewed the princess take a sip of wine. He eyed the table and floor, he saw a little bit of dust, but that was all.

Captain Birger on the other hand knew something was different about Elsa. The King had told him Elsa was unique, but never revealed why or how. He made Birger swear allegiance to Elsa in case something ever happened to Idun or himself. " _Whatever it is I will manage_." He thought as he drank some more coffee.

Sailing Master had no thoughts for he was too busy trying to make the Princess laugh at one of his jokes. Something he was failing to do.

All the men rose when Elsa announced she was ready for bed and bid her a good night's rest.

Elsa had a wonderful and relaxing nights' rest, one that she allowed herself to prolong when she skipped breakfast. Upon getting up she washed her face in a warm water basin and dressed leisurely in an informal gown and slippers. She read about sea tales and studied Hiccups map, memorizing all the islands and different dragons that were shown on the papers she was provided. After a late lunch she privately practiced forming snow balls in her hand.

"Come on Elsa you can do it." She said in a hushed tone as she tried to hold the mock scepter without freezing it. Every time she believed she was getting an edge over the ice if slowly crept up till the scepter was covered. "Damn." She voiced out as her frustrations grew, it seemed she kept remembering that she would be in front of dozens of her people and diplomats representing many kingdoms. And someone seeing her magic or powers could jeopardize any trade talks or negotiations before they even begun.

"I will practice later. For now, I will just relax. I have plenty of time to try again later."

Going back onto the quarterdeck where she was greeted my Captain Bernard and Sailing Master Hedvig, whom she listened to as they told her stories of sailing to other kingdoms and what the people were like there. She wanted to gain as much knowledge as she could before her coronation in seven months' time.

The invitations were to be sent out in January which would give the kingdoms enough time to respond back and plan on which emissary to send whom would best represent their kingdoms interests in front of the new queen. She could definitely see many dukes, lords and maybe a few princes would arrive in her kingdom. Elsa hoped none of them would ask for her hand in marriage, she really didn't want to start off on the wrong foot by saying no to a king's request to marry his son. She knew they would ask in time and some would be upset to find out she was already engaged by the time of her coronation. The possibility of expanding their trade and kingdoms mattered more than the issue of whether the two even liked one another.

" _Enough of this, that isn't for half a year in time. For now, I will enjoy this conversation_." Elsa thought as she turned her head back to the two men. This continued on till dinner time where she once again enjoyed herself with good food and conversation. The conversation ranged from the history of Arendelle under her father to what they would do on Berk when they arrived. This continued well into the night, till she yawned and excused herself from the table.

As Elsa laid down on the bed with her books next to her on the table nearby, she let her mind drift to what her wedding would be like. Would she have a ceremony of just the two of them and a few witnesses or would she go grand and invite hundreds and let the whole world know she was in love with a Viking.

"I can't wait for that day." She voiced as she let herself drift into slumber.

* * *

The night watch stood about on the decks looking for any ships, dragons or pirates. None were seen. Coffee and stories of former glory were consumed with vigor, anything to stave off the wanting of sleep. The night was clear and the moon was full. They could see a small dot far away and determined that they would arrive early indeed. Perhaps in time for breakfast. Their minds drifted to the possible consumption of yak and ale for breakfast. That would be an interesting morning to say the least.

A few minutes after six tolls were rung on the ships bell, a distant shape was seen on their starboard flying towards Berk. "What in God's name is that?" A midshipman asked out of curiosity.

"A dragon of course, but it seems to be attacking Berk. For it just destroyed one of the large Viking statues that stood as a watch tower. Send word for the Captain." The officer of the watch told one of him men, who was sent running toward the Captain's cabin.

A moment later Captain Bernard and Sailing Master Hedvig were out on the deck in their night wear.

"Where away?" Bernard asked as he was handed a spy glass.

"About three points off the starboard bow. We saw a large dragon destroy one of Berk's Viking statues, it seems the dragon is now accompanied by an armada of other dragons." The lieutenant told the captain as he was looking through the spy glass.

"Sir! Seven points off the starboard bow. There seems to be at least half a dozen warships sailing towards Berk!" A midshipman shouted pointing to the armada sailing slowly towards Berk.

Bernard and Hedvig whirled to the new sighting.

"It seems like an invasion force. Though with how slowly they are going they won't arrive for several hours." Captain Bernard said putting down his telescope and rested his hands on the railing.

"Sir, we should turn back now and go back to Arendelle before we are seen." A second lieutenant said looking a bit scared.

"No, we should stay and fight. We cannot leave our ally to be destroyed. This was the entire reason we came here. Without Hiccup, Princess Elsa will be crushed and any chance at a bright future for our kingdom will be extinguished before it was even lit." Captain Birger said coming onto the bow of the ship with a few of his men staying on the quarterdeck behind him.

"We are outclassed and outmanned. We must ensure the safety of our future queen." The second lieutenant countered.

Birger took a step forward towards the captain, "sir, we have the weapons to at least distract the dragon long enough for Hiccup and his Vikings to make a counterattack."

Nothing was said, both sides of the argument were running through Bernard's head.

"Sir, you must make a decision before it's too late."

Taking a deep breath, Bernard turned around. " _May God help us_." He thought.

"We shall beat to quarters!" He shouted.

* * *

Elsa was having an interesting dream filled with dragons and Vikings, they were fighting one another, in the skies and on the ground. Just then she saw Hiccup being consumed by ice from a massive dragon with tusks. She shot up in bed at that image.

"Where in the world did that come from?" She said to no one. She could hear a loud drumming sound and frantic feet moving around. "What is going on?"

She moved towards the door, clutching her robe closed. Opening the door, she saw sailors and guardsmen running from their quarters up the staircase onto the gangway.

"Actions stations men! Go! Go! Go!" One lieutenant shouted to his fellow sailors.

Elsa could see Captain Birger shouting orders to his men who were still dressing themselves and he was shouting "lively!" again and again.

"Captain Birger what is going on?" She asked.

Birger whirled around on the princess and put on his best smile.

"Nothing Princess Elsa, just a drill. That is all."

Just then the sound of a dragon roaring was heard causing the ship to vibrate slightly.

"Right." Elsa said dryly then closed the door and quickly dressed herself in a simple dress with her slippers, gloves and cape.

A few moments later she walked out of her room and onto the quarterdeck in time to see a massive dragon destroy a chunk of Berk with a spray of thick ice.

"My God." She whispered to herself watching as bit by bit of Berk was destroyed in front of her.

She could faintly see Hiccup and Toothless fly around the dragon again and again looking for a weak spot. She looked at all the destruction and felt her powers grow. "Ice can only destroy; it can't build or save lives." She told herself, fearful of her powers leaking out and causing those around her to be harmed. She tugged her gloves on tighter.

"Prepare the ballista's! Archers into position on the main deck!" Birger shouted orders to his men. The pattering of feet and the clanking of cranes moving the ballistae into position was heard.

"Men spill the winds from our sails, bring us to a stop!" Hedvig ordered his sailors up the main and mizzen mast.

Two tall ballistae were rested on the main deck and pointed out over the starboard side of the ship. Ten archers lined up nearly shoulder to shoulder with their long bows in their hands and arrows laying out in front of them. The long bow was almost the size of a man but could send an arrow hundreds of meters away at a target accurately.

Elsa watched as five men each loaded large heavy bolts onto the resting place of the ballista, two men pulled back a metal arm that cranked the spring back further and further into position.

"Target the back of the dragon, to get his attention! Archers aim for and try to hit the rider!" Birger yelled as he looked at the dragon, and Toothless who was flying directly at the massive beast.

"Target enemy dragon, range three hundred meters! Archers cover your arrow heads in oil. Someone bring a torch!" Birger quickly said dropping a handkerchief to see the wind direction and speed. "Wind is coming in slow from the East! Archers be sure to compensate!"

"Yes Sir!" They yelled back.

An explosion was heard and all eyes were placed on the massive dragon who shied away from the explosion, a man was seen falling off the dragon and hitting the ground. Elsa saw Hiccup glide towards the dragon's tail. Just before he hit the tail, he was caught by Toothless and the two flew down to the ground to confront their enemy. She could barely see Hiccup throw something in front of the man and went to, Elsa guessed was ask him to surrender.

He never got the chance for the dragon behind blew ice out of its mouth which encased Hiccup and Toothless.

Nearly everyone's eyes were glued on Elsa who had shouted "Hiccup!" at the top of her lungs.

"He's gone, the love of my life is dead and I will be alone forever. Hiccup is…is…" She said quietly before she wavered and fell backwards. Gerda who was watching the spectacle, saw Elsa start to fall back and quickly moved to catch her. "Your highness!"

Gerda was able to catch her in time, and moved to have her sit on a nearby bench. "It will be okay, you'll see. Everything will alright." She said to Elsa's unconscious figure. Holding her hands in hers and gently patting her face to see if she could awaken her. Doctor Aaron came walking up the staircase and went over to the fainted princess to see if he could help.

Seeing his future queen faint at being robbed of the one thing that made her truly happy, Birger steeled himself for his next order.

"Archers ignite!" Birger yelled as the archers bent down and held their arrows in the flame long enough for it to catch fire.

"Archers draw!"

The archers pointed their bows toward the heavens and turned slightly into the wind to compensate for the cross wind. "Ready sir." One of the archers yelled.

The enemy dragon pulled air into its lungs and aimed to blast the village and friendly Vikings once again to deliver the final blow.

"Loose!" Birger shouted as one of his men hit the release on the first ballista. The bolt sailed at break neck speed through the air into the back of the dragon burrowing itself deep into its skin, resulting in the dragon to be so surprised that it released its shot into the sky and not onto their allies. The dragon turned around as was rewarded with a bolt to its neck, wrenching a cry from its throat. Blood started to seep out of its neck and down its body. Drago whirled around to see who was attacking his dragon, and almost a dozen flaming arrows rained down onto his position. One came so close it set his beard on fire, he patted at his face to extinguish the flame. Drago ran to his dragon to attack this new enemy, swiping arrows out of the sky with his lance.

"Reload! Reload!" Birger shouted to the men attending the ballista. "Archers don't allow him to recover or give orders, shower him with arrows!"

The long bows released their deadly arrows at the dragon rider, pelting the dragon with fire. All missed the rider, who took shelter behind his dragon's tusks.

Birger started to see other arrows sail through the air into the dragon from Berk, it seemed like the Hooligan tribe was fighting back. His archers arrows were impacting but bouncing off the face of the massive dragon, it seemed only to annoy the beast.

He hit the release again on the ballista which sent a five-foot iron bolt into the chest of the dragon. He could see blood was caked on the dragon's front from the resulting hits. " _We won't be able to keep this up forever, sooner or later he will freeze us and that will be the end of it_."

A roar ripped through the air drawing everyone's attention, the beast sucked a massive breath into his lungs and moved to destroy the small icebreaker. Birger took a step back in fear of having such an enormous dragon look at him directly. It took a step forward smashing a house to bits, then it opened its mouth to release its deadly ice. " _Damn, this is it_."

* * *

"I haven't been this cold since Elsa froze my shoulders that one time." Hiccup chuckled as he remembered that old memory. He was only able to look around a little bit, but everything was frozen around him. "I wonder how we will get out of this one Toothless? Toothless?" He said nervously as his dragon started to glow blue.

The ice around them started to crack then exploded at the force Toothless released from his roar. Seeing if his master and brother was okay, to which Hiccup nodded in return. Toothless leapt onto an ice beam and roared at the back of the dragon who was about to fire onto a small boat near the dock. Smelling a faint scent in the air, his eyes widened, it was his brother's mate.

This beast was about to kill his brother's mate. He quickly fired a plasma bolt at the back of his enemy's head in anger. He would do anything to protect the ones he cared about.

The enemy dragon released its ice spray nearly onto the boat but missed because of a large explosion impacting its head.

"What the?" Birger shouted turning to see what caused them to be saved. He looked through his spy glass to see Toothless and Hiccup alive. "Their alive! Toothless and Hiccup are alive!"

The men and sailors gave a 'oorah' in joy at being saved and giving the two enough time for a counterstrike. They jumped and raised their closed fists into the air at the victory they had earned.

"Your highness? Ms. Elsa? Hiccup is alive, Toothless too. They are okay, please wake up." Gerda urged the young princess to come back to the land of the conscious.

Elsa slowly opened her eyes at the word 'Hiccup', "What?" She asked.

"He's alive, and unhurt from what we can see." Aaron told her and he gently stood her up and allowed her to lean against the banister.

Her sight was blurry and it took a few seconds to focus correctly on the island. But she saw Toothless release shot after shot at the massive dragon, eventually causing the dragons who were hovering above the battle to fly around and mass above Hiccup and Toothless. "Were they under a spell?" Elsa asked herself.

Hiccup jumped onto Toothless' back and looked to demand his enemy's surrender once again. To which the man said "never!", Elsa faintly heard this as Toothless roared in return. The dragons in the sky began to release a barrage of fire at their new enemy. The immense beast was soon being peppered by hundreds of fire shots.

A loud roar was heard as the great beast drew back and looked to be readying to release a final attack on the pair. Toothless too drew in a long breath and released a powerful bolt at the dragons face, causing it to rear back as its left tusk fell to the ground.

Shock was etched on the immense beasts face as Toothless gave out a final battle roar. Slowly the beast slowly retreated back and dived into the ocean and away from the new alpha.

"Archers stand down. This battle has been won." Birger yelled out as he moved to Captain Bernard.

"Sailors prepare the foremast. We need a little wind to put us into the harbor." Sailing Master Hedvig shouted to his sailors who had been positioned on the deck to provide support for the archers and ballistae crew.

The clamoring of feet and grunts was heard as many men climbed up the mast to prepare the sails.

"Secure the bows, arrows and ballistae in the holds." Captain Bernard ordered. After a few minutes the deck was clear of all weapons.

"Ms. Elsa maybe we should get you down into your cabin for we will be docked soon and you will want to look your best when you meet Hiccup." Gerda said slowly and gave a faint smile at the young woman.

Elsa just nodded and moved silently down the stairs and into her cabin. She was assisted by Gerda into a new teal dress with a sweetheart bodice, a black long-sleeved turtleneck blouse, her magenta cape and the cyan gloves Hiccup had given her.

"Do you want any makeup?"

She thought for a moment. "Just a little."

Moving over from her mirror, Gerda gently caked on some lavender eye shadow and magenta lipstick. "I will do your favorite hairstyle, the French braided crown twist bun."

"Thank you Gerda."

Gerda just smiled and nodded.

A soft knock was heard on the door, "your highness, we are ready for you."

"One moment."

Raising out of her seat and looking in her mirror, she gave herself a smile at how beautiful she looked. "Alright. I'm ready."

Moving out of the cabin, down the hallway, up the stairs and onto the deck, Elsa was rewarded with a view of destruction of Berk. The dock was in shambles, many ships were seen to be sinking and the ramp up the cliff to the village circle was littered with greenish ice. Many houses and buildings were in ruin; ice was either jutting out of homes or completely covered them. "This place will need a lot of work to be normal again." Birger said, voicing the thought of everyone around him. A ship in the distance snapped into two and sank. "Okay, maybe a lot of work."

* * *

Hiccup jumped off of Toothless and was met by a mass of his fellow Vikings and dragons. They all cheered at the victory over the Bewilderbeast and Drago Bludvist. Now was the time to celebrate.

"Great job son, your father would have been so proud of you." His mother told him as she took him into her arms and held him. He returned the hug and rested his head on her shoulder. Hiccup watched as the dragons who had been under the old alpha's spell flew down to embrace their masters and friends. He felt a mixture of emotions run through him at that moment ranging from relief to sadness to happiness and finally fatigue. He hadn't slept in over forty hours and it was beginning to catch up with him; he was running on pure adrenaline. He shook his head to shirk off the wanting of sleep and moved out of the embrace of his mother only to be embraced by Toothless.

Hiccup slowly drew his hand over Toothless' face until both of his hands held his dragon's mouth. "You never cease to amaze me bud, thank you." Toothless pushed his head forward till it touched his brothers head. This was a special hug his brother occasionally gave him, only the two of them did this; he didn't do it with anyone else.

Now to really show his thanks for getting out of that evil dragon's spell. Time for kisses.

Toothless knocked Hiccup to the ground and showered him with licks.

Soon Hiccup was covered in his saliva.

"Toothless, you know that doesn't wash out!" Hiccup yelled for the seemingly amusement of everyone around them. Laughter was heard at his expense.

As Toothless moved off of him and allowed him to stand, was he finally able to see the dragons embracing their fellow humans all except for Eret who was standing off to the side. He moved toward him and Skullcrusher.

"You know you would make a good trapper if you ever wanted to be one." Eret said smiling but then got knocked to the side by Skullcrusher who was looking for attention.

"You know Skullcrusher is going to need someone to look after him now." He smiled faintly but inside he was crushed that his father was gone. It was because of Skullcrusher's tracking skills that his father found him at the cove which led to the reunion between him and his mother. At least they spent a little time together.

"Me?" Eret asked completely surprised that he would even be considered.

Hiccup just smiled and nodded, reaffirming the decision to let Eret take care of Skullcrusher.

"I'd be honored." Eret replied and smiled at his new dragon.

Hiccup turned toward his mother who had walked over with Astrid. "I am so glad your back mom, there is so much I need to catch you up on."

"And here is where I will stay. How are you and Elsa doing?" Valka asked as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Hiccups eyes widened at the mentioning of Elsa, and so did Astrid's whom he saw in his peripheral vision.

"Elsa? Oh, Elsa." He said as he broke away from his mother and moved toward the cliff face, weaving through ice and broken houses.

Looking down onto the harbor he spotted her and her entourage. "Elsa is here. I am pretty sure Captain Birger and his guards are responsible for guaranteeing our victory today. It was because of their actions that allowed me and Toothless the time to fight back. We need to receive them and hopefully they won't mind the mess." Hiccup said in a rush as he looked at now _his_ village; his _damaged_ village.

He slowly made his way down to the docks where he saw Elsa following behind Captain Birger, who was making sure the path was clear and safe. He heard several pairs of footsteps and flapping of wings behind him.

Hiccup received them at the beginning of the cliff ramp.

"Hello Captain Birger how are we today?" Hiccup asked chirpily.

Birger smiled back and tipped his hat toward the young Viking. "Oh we had quite the morning, that much is for sure. Instead of breakfast we had a full scale battle complete with aerial combat. "You know you shouldn't worry Princess Elsa; she has been worried sick about you. She…" Birger was about to say but when interrupted by said Princess.

"Thank you Captain, I think I can take over from here." Elsa replied as she moved in front of Captain Birger who fell back into line with the other Guards.

Moving forward so he could see her properly, with only a meter between them he noticed all the little changes that had occurred over the years they had been apart. Her face had a little more color, her hair was longer and her body had grown out more. He blushed absentmindedly as he looked at her face. " _I need to get my hormones under control_." Hiccup also noticed how forward and controlling she was, " _normally she wouldn't have interrupted someone else. She has a lot more confidence now."_ He thought then smiled at how she was becoming a proper princess.

Elsa too took a good look at Hiccup, he had grown taller and looked more muscular than the seventeen-year-old she had last seen. " _Those eyes are so beautiful, it's like looking into a forest and that chin, mercy. Even his hair is fuller and are those braids?_ " She asked herself, she would have kissed him right there if it weren't for everyone looking at them at that moment.

"You get more and more beautiful every time I see you Elsa, I swear you are a splitting image of Freyja herself." Hiccup whispered so only she could hear, causing her cheeks to heat up.

"You don't look too bad yourself Hiccup, though you will need to stop growing so I will be able to _talk_ to you without trouble." Elsa said as she emphasized the word talk as to mean kiss. Hiccup got the gist, and smiled smugly at her. "No promises." He countered back.

"I wish I could say the same about my village though, that massive dragon made a mess of all the improvements I wanted to show you." Hiccup sighed defeated. Elsa looked up and saw that the dragon had destroyed a few homes and heavily damaged a few others. There was also ice jutting out of the cliff side and covering entire paths, it will take a few days to clear it out. " _Maybe I can cause some of it to disappear…no, someone will surely notice and cause a scene. I must wait some more before I reveal my secret._ " Elsa thought as she flexed her hand a few times.

Hiccup noticed Elsa's hand flex a few times and immediately knew what she was thinking. He smiled at her helpful thinking, she always wants to make him happy even if it gives her more anxiety.

As she was looking around she had noticed all the Vikings silently looking at her, as she scanned the crowd she failed to see Stoick. "Hiccup where is your father? I can't imagine he would miss something like this or at the very least saying hello." Elsa said innocently.

Hiccup felt something stab his heart, he had lost his father less than a day ago and Elsa knew nothing of it.

He smiled a little hoping to not show how tired and saddened he was. "My father fell in battle and will not be joining us. The battle you just saw was part two of a much bigger battle; Stoick saw I was in danger so he pushed me out of the way to save me. Just like Toothless had done for me over four years ago." Hiccup said and gave a reassuring smile.

"He fell in battle? My goodness, I will see to it that he is well taken care of Hiccup you have my word." Elsa said in a rush, taking what Hiccup had said at face value. Turning around she spotted Gerda. "Gerda, have doctor Aaron brought up immediately Sto…" She started to say but Hiccup grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Elsa, you don't understand. Stoick… my father has fallen permanently. He's gone." He whispered the last part so only she could hear.

It was then she had noticed the small line of tears coming out of the corner of his right eye. He had a tearful smile to go along with it.

Her eyes widened at the thought of Stoick being gone. The man was one of the kindest men she had ever met, a little rough around the edges but he only wanted the best for her and Hiccup. He had kept her secret hidden from all, even Hiccup up until she had told him. That was a man, she wished could have been at their wedding.

It took all her self-control not to let her powers leak out, she couldn't even let herself cry, knowing what came after that.

"I see. I will sure to make a memorial wreath, it is the least I can do for him." She said back, giving him a small smile and touching Hiccups hand, which was still holding her arm. He released his grip and smiled back. "Thank you, that would be nice." Hiccup replied back, unsure of where to go now.

The sound of a foot step and a wooden peg was heard behind them. Turning around he saw Gobber walking towards them.

"What is it Gobber?"

"Hiccup, Gothi needs ye in the village center. It's time."

Hiccup nodded back. "Time? Time for what Hiccup?" Elsa asked confused.

"My coronation." He smiled down at Elsa and held out his arm for her to hold onto. A gesture she accepted, they walked arm in arm up the ramp till they were surrounded by the villagers, dragons and the Guards. Some tried to get a better view by standing on their tip toes or on a piece of debris. One or two even took to the air on their dragons to get a good vantage point.

Gothi was near a pile of charred blackened wood, she motioned for Hiccup to kneel. He took a deep breath and did so, he peered over his shoulder and saw that Elsa was giving him a reassuring smile. Casting his eyes forward he saw that Gothi had taken some soot onto her thumb and rubbed it into her finger then looked toward him. She then drew her thumb across his forehead and cast the crest of Berk on his forehead. After she was finished, she bowed towards him, it was complete.

Standing back up, he cast a gaze towards Gobber and gave a small smile.

"The Chief has returned!" He announced to all that could hear.

Applause and cheers were heard from not only his own Vikings but Elsa's guards and sailors as well. Elsa herself was clapping and giving him a beautiful smile.

"Long Live the Chief, Long Live the Chief!" Was yelled again and again till the dragons themselves joined in on the celebration with a flaming salute followed by a star burst in the sky.

As he turned around he moved towards Elsa who curtsied out of respect. "It seems I got coroneted first, minus the crown of course. Would you like to…" He said then drifted off as he saw some ships on the horizon sailing towards Berk.

Captain Birger noticed this too, "it seems to be the armada we saw earlier this morning. Should we go out and greet them?" He asked as he strapped his hat on tighter ready for another fight.

"No, there has been enough bloodshed for one day. Hopefully I can get them to disperse and leave without causing a fight." He turned around and peered at his friends.

"Dragon Riders follow me!" He yelled as he ran to get on Toothless.

His friends ran to and got on their respective dragons unaware of what was going on but listened to their chief nonetheless.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Drago's left prosthetic arm that had been blasted off during the battle. "Eret! Bring that with us!" He then pointed to the arm laying near a pile of ice. Eret nodded, retrieved the arm then secured it to Skullcrusher.

He turned back to look at Elsa who stood near Toothless looking at him in fear of leaving her again. "Don't worry Elsa. I will only be a few minutes."

Toothless took off into the clouds followed closely by his friends.

The dragon riders flew in a loose "V" formation until they were in range of the armada. Hiccup aimed for capital ship at the front. "Okay bud, were not here to start a fight. Nice and easy."

The lead ships of the armada pointed their catapults, ballistae and archers at the dragon riders.

In response Hiccup threw up his hands in mock surrender.

"We mean no harm; we wish only for peace. Who is your second in command?" He yelled as the group hovered above the deck of the ship. His friends looked at the archers and other Vikings with suspicion and alarm, ready to defend Hiccup at a moment's notice.

"I am Ganis of the Silent Isles, I'm in charge of this armada until Drago returns and lays claim to yer island. Best just give up now young lad." The old man laughed at the young Viking. He was a tall older man with a full golden beard and plenty of scars on his face from years of battles.

Hiccup let the insult and demand slide off, he needed to make sure no more battles were fought today. "I am Chief Hiccup of the Hooligan Tribe and that is Berk, my island. I am asking you leave now under a banner of truce and never come back unless you come to trade in peace. Today has seen enough bloodshed on both sides. I am asking you to turn around and go home." Hiccup voiced to the men who looked at one another and laughed.

"Boy, when Drago gets back he will burn yer island to the ocean and take all yer dragons and make them his. If you surrender I can assure you that yer friends will live and only you will die, you have my word." Ganis said then slammed his fist to his chest as a show of promise.

"I'm sorry but I must decline because Drago and his Bewilderbeast have been defeated and you're looking at the new alpha dragon." He voiced as he rubbed Toothless' head.

The older Vikings looked at each other in shock and disbelief.

"Impossible. Drago cannot be defeated, yer lying!" He shouted back and made a swiping motion with his hand in obvious dismissal of such an idea.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder at Eret and nodded once.

Eret untied and threw the prosthetic arm onto the deck where it rolled loudly till it hit the commanders boot. Gasps were heard and the archers drew forward their arrows on their bows, releasing the tension safely. They turned around and knew what the arm meant. Their leader would never have taken off his _arm_ and allowed it to be captured by the enemy unless…

"And if you look closely at my island you will not only see a tusk of the Bewilderbeast, but also the dragons that you all captured, flying freely in the sky. Drago no longer has control over other dragons, only Toothless does now." Said dragon let out a defining roar, a few seconds later one could see dozens upon dozens of dragons flying from Berk over to the armada. The men on the other ships drew back in fear, they were now outnumbered by the fire breathing beasts who were circling above like death itself.

"You are free from Drago's grip. Go back to your families, to your homes. You will never get a better chance than what I am giving you right now. I want to live on my island in peace and so do my friends, I am asking you to turn around and disband!" He said and looked for an answer.

After a few moments rumblings were heard from groups of men, the idea of family and home could make any man second guess his purpose on the sea or in an army. Soon those groups of men were making their voices heard demanding to go home, entire ships were yelling to make their commander listen to their pleas.

Apparently Drago did not have the loyal army he thought he had.

"Quiet!" Their commander shouted.

Taking a step over the prosthetic arm and looking at the young Viking he raised his hand in order make an agreement.

Hiccup ordered Toothless to land, which he did. Hiccup slipped off his dragon and moved forward flanked by Eret and Ruffnut. Everyone else continued to hover above.

"Under yer promise of a truce, I accept yer conditions. I will order my ships to turn around, where we will disband and …"

"No! You will not let this child ruin our best chance to rule over the archipelago. We have the numbers and the ships, we must carry on in Drago's absence!" A junior officer interrupted his commander to speak his mind. Behind him several more men moved to his side, as Hiccup looked around it seemed like there was a small but loud fanatical group who did not want to leave. The group was outnumbered but paid no attention to their disadvantage.

"Cynric, ye will listen to me and cool yer tongue or I will cut it out." Ganis commented back, slightly agitated.

"You're a fool to trust this boy Ganis. Give him time and he will be sweeping across the isles and take them all for his amusement! I…" Cynric was about to continue but was cut down by Ganis' sword. The sound of liquid hitting the deck and splattering on sails was heard by all.

Ganis lightly rubbed his sword on his clothed arm to remove the fresh blood. He then swung the sword again near Cynric's allies, "anyone else want to say anything about not wanting to go home?" Several of the men gulped while others moved away from the group till only a few remained. "Lout, take Cynric and hoist him up for the others to see. No one will disrespect my command again." A rather short yet muscular man moved forward and proceeded to tie a rope around Cynric's now bluish white leg. After a moment all of Drago's fleet could see what would happen if they spoke out against their commander.

Ganis moved back to Hiccup and his friends. "Sorry about that, some of these men should know their place."

Hiccup was a little put off by the sudden killing of a man, but did not show it. He didn't want to show weakness so early in his reign and in front of so many. Best put on a neutral face and just accept it. He would have to deal with more like him than not. He just hoped he could do right by his people.

Ganis once again put out his hand and silently looked around for anyone to make another comment, no one dared to speak up.

Hiccup shook hands with Ganis and his lieutenants. "Go in peace," Hiccup said to the older man, "and you." He replied back.

"Alright lads, let's go home." Ganis said to his men, cheers were heard from the armada.

Hiccup, Eret and Ruffnut returned to the dragons where they took off and flew back to Berk followed by the other riders. He looked back to see the ships making a U-turn away from Berk and into the open ocean.

"Good job Hiccup, you have won yourself two major victories and its only your first day as chief." Eret yelled towards him over the wind. Hiccup looked back at the man and smiled. Though Hiccup was not smiling on the inside, having witnessed a man being cut down weighed heavily on him. He would not tell Elsa about that part.

"That I did, that I did." He said softly to himself.

A few moments later the group landed back where they had taken off nearly an hour ago.

"Sorry about that Elsa, it was longer than just a moment." Hiccup said as he jumped off of Toothless and moved over to his love. "No worries, I presume they left on good terms?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Drago's Army has said they will leave in peace and then will disband. They are going back to their families and homes!" He shouted to his fellow Vikings who cheered in response.

"To Chief Hiccup, Oorah!" The Vikings voiced three times before looking to their Chief for orders.

"Right, Princess Elsa will you join me for a tour of my village?" He asked as he offered her his arm. She responded with a smile and a nod as she looped her hand through and grasped onto his arm. The villagers moved to the side as their new chief made his toward his home.

"Do you think you can spare a few guards to help with the reconstruction?" He asked as he looked up at the dragon hangar that was now teetering on the cliff side.

"Yes, one moment." She said as they came to a stop. She looked back and addressed Captain Birger who was dutifully following behind them a few paces back.

"Captain have your men stand down from their duties, change into work attire and assist Hiccups villagers in rebuilding their homes." She announced in her most regal sounding voice. "Yes your highness, as you wish." Birger responded and turned around to address his men who went back to the ship to change into their expendable clothing. Hiccup turned toward his second-in-command, Gobber.

"Gobber once the guards are done changing assign them to different areas to help with clean up." Hiccup said to his master forger.

"Right Chief." Gobber said as he winked and went back toward his forge.

"Okay everyone, let's get started rebuilding our home!" He shouted to everyone around him.

Cheers were heard as far back as the mouth to the harbor. Everyone split up and moved toward the area they wanted to start working. Hiccup and Elsa followed behind making conversation before he had to leave her at his home, stating he wanted to coordinate the cleanup project with his friends. Elsa went inside to rest and take in everything that had happened.

* * *

As Elsa watched the cleanup of Berk she had noticed a new monument that had been chipped out of the mountainside. A fifty-meter-tall Stoick was slowly coming to completion, the ice was mostly gone except for a few large pieces here and there. Hiccup was working tirelessly to make sure Berk was secure and safe. Even though Drago's Army had disbanded peacefully that did not include the other warring tribes. He had wanted to be sure Berk could defend itself from them in case they came a knocking. Hiccup knew that the best time to attack a kingdom was when new leadership came to power. Most of the time the men did not know their leader well enough or the leader himself was without experience.

A Dragon Race was scheduled to take place in honor of her birthday in a few minutes and she was to attend it with Valka and Hiccup. She was currently walking down the hill towards center of the village to meet Hiccup.

"Good morning Princess Elsa, how are ye this fine morning?" Gobber asked as he came out of his forge.

"I am well, though I was saddened that Snoggletog festivities were cancelled." Elsa voiced as she clasped her hands in front of her and moved toward the tall, partially rebuilt tree of burnt shields.

Gobber nodded his head, "well it is hard to celebrate when all of the decorations are either damaged or destroyed. The food was good though. And don't worry, this race will raise morale in the village." Gobber said as he moved a shield to make it stand out more.

"I do hope so, I have never see a dragon race before and hope it will be exciting."

Gobber nodded once and moved closer to the young princess.

"It is, and from what Hiccup has told me, he has a surprise for yer." Gobber said in a low voice.

Elsa remembered what the surprise might be, "truly? What is it?" Elsa asked playing innocence.

"What is what, Elsa?" Hiccup asked as he came from a nearby house.

Elsa was given a start, and whirled around to look at Hiccup. There were bags under his eyes and he looked very tired. " _Has he slept at all?_ " Elsa thought silently.

"Princess Elsa asked me where is the best place to sit to get the best view of the race, Chief." Gobber lied easily, having years of experience from talking to his former chief.

Too tired to see the lie, Hiccup answered quickly. "You need not worry about that, you will be sitting with me near my throne at the center of the stands." Hiccup replied back. "But first, I need to talk to my mom, she said there was something important she needed to tell me. Gobber will show you to your seat." He said then took her gloved hand and kissed it. After letting go he turned around and walked tiredly toward his home to see his mother.

" _I wonder if its dragon related?_ " She voiced quietly then turned towards Gobber who was walking slowly toward the arena.

After an hour Hiccup had seated himself and declared the race to begin, though something was off she had noticed. Hiccup didn't look happy, he looked agitated. Had his mother told him something that got him mad? She did not know, but would surly ask him about it after the race.

As Astrid threw the black sheep into her net the crowd roared in approval. The game was over, Astrid and Fishlegs were declared the winners. They all landed on the platform and bowed towards the crowds.

"A job well done dragon riders. I am so proud of you all. And now for a surprise!" He announced to the riders and those that could hear in the stands. Astrid and her friends looked at one another wondering what the surprise would be.

"After much thought I have decided to form my own council, when your name is called line up on the platform. The five of you can stay where you are." Hiccup said to his friends who were still confused about the entire thing.

"Bucket, Mulch, Eret and Gobber take your place on the platform." One by one they came down and stood shoulder to shoulder with one another.

Looking at them all, Hiccup clutched a bag at his side, brought it up and untied the knot securing the contents. "I made these rings yesterday and they are to show your title and status among your fellow Vikings."

Looking up at Eret he held the ring above Eret's hand waiting for him to take it. He held out his palm and Hiccup placed the silver ring embroidered with the crest of Berk on it onto Eret's palm. "With this ring I give you the title of Emissary of Berk, you will represent Berk when you travel across the seas in search of other tribes and kingdoms to make peace or to set up trade with. Do you accept this title?" Hiccup asked looking his new friend in the eye.

"I do, and thank you Chief Hiccup for this honor." Eret said then bowed his head. He carefully placed the ring on his right index finger and cast a gaze upon it. Eret had found a new home and given him a purpose in life. No more dragon trapping for him for which he was glad for.

Moving down to look at Fishlegs, the big man was a little giddy at what his new title and ring would be and look like. "Fishlegs, you have been the one person on Berk who has always treated me as your friend. I bestow the title of Bookkeeper upon you. You will be responsible for the recording of financial transactions for our economy and any and all transactions that includes Berk whether it be with other tribes or kingdoms. Do you accept this title?"

"Yes and thank Hiccup, I will make you proud." Fishlegs voiced happily as he was given his ring and slipped it onto his large finger.

Astrid smiled at Hiccup as he looked at her, she would be receiving a ring from him, it may not have been an engagement ring, but it was a start… she hoped. "Astrid you are by far one of the best up and coming Vikings we have on Berk and that will be needed in our future. Which is why I am making you head teacher of the Dragon Academy and instructor for all combat related courses." Her eyes widened at the thought of teaching all future Vikings, it was a major responsibility and their future as a tribe rested on whether she could make children into tough and formidable Vikings. "Thank you Hiccup; I won't let you down." She voiced then hit him on his arm. That was something he allowed, it was only between them and it was better than her trying to kiss him which he had managed to avoid as of late.

"Snotlout, you are pain in the ass and tough to ignore, but you do not give up or in, which is why you will be in charge of the fleet once the ships are repaired. Much will rely on you when we expand outwards and protection of our territory is needed." He placed the ring on his hand and nodded on toward his cousin.

"Of course I'm the commander of your fleet, I mean I am the best looking and the only one capable of such a job." Snotlout said as he inflated his ego.

Elsa who had been sitting in her seat next to Hiccup's throne was rather confused at the moment. " _Wait a second. Did he say expand outwards? Does Hiccup have a desire to claim new islands or territory? I will need to ask about this later_." As she came out of her thoughts she saw that she had missed the giving of rings to Gobber, Mulch and Bucket. Though thankfully she listened to the men around her and caught on to what they were telling one another. After a moment of listening she had learned that Gobber had become Hiccup's personal advisor, no surprise there and Bucket and Mulch were placed in charge of agriculture which was a major responsibility for the island. She hoped in time trade for Berk could rise to where they would be able to taste new foods or afford more and better equipment than what they were accustomed too. Arendelle could fit that role perfectly if she had her way.

"And last but not least Ruffnut and Tuffnut. You two will have vastly different roles and I hope you will be able to adjust to them." He said as he looked at the two twins.

"Don't worry Hiccup, we can adjust to anything, just give us time and we'll do it right." Tuffnut said before he conked his helmet against his sisters. "Yeah" she said in approval conking right back.

"Right, then Tuffnut you will be in charge of home defense and the creation of new weapons. And you Ruffnut will be my personal guard." As he spoke the last word Elsa raised an eyebrow. " _Ruffnut? She will be his bodyguard? This relatively lanky woman is supposed to protect my future husband from harm, is Hiccup serious_?" Elsa thought for a moment.

Ruffnut was just as flabbergasted as everyone else apparently. "Oh, umm thank you Hiccup. I promise to do my best to watch over you." She said and accepted the ring to which she put on, made a fist and punched her brother in the shoulder. "Oww! What was that for?" Tuffnut asked rubbing his shoulder.

"Just seeing if it would break."

Hiccup moved back to his throne and addressed his fellow Vikings. "I present to you my council; may the Gods bring Berk great fortune!" The group raised their hands and waved at the crowd who roared in approval and cheered at the promise of a better tomorrow.

"I hereby pronounce that a grand dinner take place tonight to honor our new council and to celebrate Elsa's birth. Let's start the preparations!" He yelled over the cheers.

Soon everyone filtered out of the stadium and moved to prepare for the festivities. His council members went to their respected areas to create a better Berk. Hiccup and Elsa were followed closely behind by their respective guards; Ruffnut who was asking Birger questions about what her new role would encompass and Birger was trying to watch for any danger while simultaneously answering the young woman's question as quickly as he could.

"I have a surprise for you Elsa, consider it my birthday present to you." Hiccup said as he took a different route, one that led to the middle of the island that overlooked a rolling hill and a flowing stream. " _It's beautiful_." She thought as she saw a two story newly built house, one with a large porch, yard and slanted roof.

Crossing over the stream via a small foot bridge and stepping onto a new stone foot path, she was able to see that the home was about ninety percent complete. A little more work and it would be complete, it just needed personal furnishings.

"You two stay here, I wish to show the house to Elsa alone." Elsa nodded towards Birger who then moved towards standing near the front door with Ruffnut following.

Pushing the door open revealed hand carved support pillars and an open downstairs with a staircase to the upstairs built into the left side wall. On the right side was a fireplace with a stone chimney, the oak floor creaked softly as she moved over it to touch the smooth pillars. "I took some ideas from Arendelle and applied them to your house on Berk."

Elsa turned around at that mention of whose house it was. "My house?"

Hiccup gave a small smile, "well of course. You can't live forever in that small house in the center of the village, I know you would want something more private, so I started building this house a few months ago and chipped into it when I could."

Her eyes widened at the thought of having her own home on Berk. She automatically assumed she would just live in Hiccups house when they married. But this was nicer and more her style; reserved and out of the way.

Moving further into the home she saw a small kitchen with a water pump and metal sink, there was a flame pit and pots and pans nearby hanging on the wall. "Now the water pump was tough to create, but I was able to build a system of aqueducts that will feed water from the nearby stream. And the bathroom which is in the room next to the kitchen has a tub to take baths in, but someone will need to light a fire underneath it to heat the water." Elsa rose a perfect eyebrow at the thought of being in basically a boiling pot of water.

Hiccup saw her stare, "I know, I know. But don't worry, I tried out the concept and it works, I even added a cushion to the bottom so you don't burn your bottom." He gave a chuckle at the small attempt at humor. Elsa just continued to stare at him, eyebrow still raised. "Right, moving on."

Hiccup pointed out the dining table, seats, and other basic necessities before slowly climbing the stairs that led to the second floor. Moving down the long hallway she made out a storage room, two bedrooms and at the very end the master bedroom. She gulped a little at the thought of what their future would be like in that room.

"There was one area that I did not show you and that was the overhang at the rear of your home, which is where your dragon will sleep." He voiced as he put his hand on the master bedroom door.

"My dragon?" She said stopping in the middle of the hallway.

Hiccup turned around a gave her a small tilted look. "Well, yeah. I fully expect you to pick a dragon, once one calls to you or you find one."

"Hiccup, don't you remember the last time I was on a dragon?" Elsa raised her voice at her concerns of freezing her dragon or crashing to the ground…again.

Hiccup looked at her and smiled, "Elsa, I have complete confidence that one day you will master your fears enough to fly on a dragon and sense the one feeling you have been missing."

"And that is?" She whispered moving to just beside the main door with her beau.

"Freedom, obviously."

He pushed open the door to reveal a large soft looking square bed pushed against the far wall, which was situated between two windows looking out onto the village and ocean further on. To her right she saw an open door leading to a balcony which she believed was the overhang to where her dragon would sleep.

Looking back, she saw a private water closet complete with a mirror which was rare for Berk. Against the walls were various dressers, storage chests and in the corner was a mahogany desk with quills, ink and paper. Brushing her hand against the bed which looked massive and thick in size. "Where did you get such a large bed?" Elsa asked as she sat down and felt how soft it was, the furs were that of wolves and perhaps a bear too.

"The furs, sheets and pillows we got through trading with Johann and I made the bed myself. I traded some dragon scales for an instruction book on making furnishings, I believe it originated in France. Long story short, it took several tries and a few weeks to create what you are laying on. Well… what do you think?"

Moving off the bed and closing the distance between her and Hiccup she placed her gloved hands in his.

"It is overwhelming; this is the best gift I have ever received. Thank you for the show, the house and the love." Elsa moved to kiss Hiccup, but at the last second he pulled away and closed the door behind them; sealing them inside.

Hiccup rested his head against the door contemplating his next actions.

"Hiccup? What is wrong?" Sensing that Hiccup was hiding something from her, she moved forward to confront him about her feeling.

"Remember what we promised about no more secrets." That caused a reaction she was not expecting.

A second later she found herself on the floor with her left cheek burning and looked up at Hiccup with blurry vision. "Hiccup what was the meaning of that." She asked in shock. Hiccup looked down at her, fists clenched.

"You promised no more secrets and I asked nearly five years ago on this very island if there were any secrets that I should know about and you said no!" Hiccup shouted at Elsa, "my mother asked if we were married or engaged yet, due to the marriage contract. And I asked her what contract, then she told me everything." Moving around the room to one of the dressers he rested his hands against it and gripped one of the knobs to a drawer nearly causing it to crack under the strain.

"You lied to me Elsa, for over five years. You lied to me! You promised there were no secrets and the entire time, you were lying to me!" Hiccup screamed at her, mad at the situation she had put him in. Looking at Elsa who had moved to stand against the bed in support.

"I must ask but do you love me for me or just because there was no one else to fall in love with, I mean if we had met by a chance encounter would you have developed the same feelings?" Hiccup asked with heated breath.

"I…I honestly don't know, but that doesn't change my feelings for you right now. I'm in love with you and no one else. I developed feelings for you before I was even told about the contract binding us together."

Turning back around to look at her, he pressed his hand to his head to wipe away the sweat that had collected on his forehead.

"But would that change if you held your coronation tomorrow and there were princes or lords there with their sons, can you honestly say that you wouldn't feel any inclination toward any of them?" He asked with waited anticipation. "I don't know; I honestly don't know if I would have any feelings toward any of them. But you love me Hiccup and that all that matters." Elsa replied back, now sitting on the bed.

"Yes, I love you, but I chose you believing I had a real choice in the matter. I had two beautiful women that were interested in me, you and Astrid. You had expressed interest in me; in me of all people and I believed that if I chose that woman, that me and her would live happily ever after. I mean what would have happened if I had chosen Astrid?" He asked pacing back and forth between the bed and the water closet.

"Hmm, what then? Would you had allowed it simply because you knew that my father would have broken us up and sent me your way, or would you have called me out on my decision and told me then that we were meant to be together? What would you have done?" Hiccup asked with venom laced in his voice.

Elsa didn't know what to say, no matter how she answered it seemed like there was no right answer. "It doesn't matter what I would have chosen because it didn't come to that. We are here now, we love each other and we each made the right choice in life involving one another." She said as she moved her closer to Hiccup, hoping she had gotten thru to him. He pulled away.

"The right choice." He chuckled cynically at the idea. "You lied to me. You lied to me for five years, hell even longer than that. Ever since you learned about the contract and refused to tell me. A relationship is about trust and you couldn't even do that right." Elsa moved to talk but was cut off before the words were even in her throat.

"You, my family, your family have been lying to me, ever since I was born. I really had no say in anything. It was all an allusion to make it seem like I was in charge of my own destiny and our relationship. I truly believed that you, the most beautiful woman on earth chose me, a Hiccup, a runt of all people. But no, you didn't choose me, your parents did. And thus you had to love me."

Hiccup laughed at how he believed in an allusion all along. "I can't look at you, I…I can't be near you right now." He said as he moved to open the door and closed it behind him. Elsa collapsed back down to the bed and started to cry.

"It's all my fault. Do...Do I truly deserve him?" She asked moving deeper onto the soft bed.

* * *

Pushing the front door open with a burst of energy, it slamming against the front side of the wall and alarming the two people near it. "What the?" Ruffnut and Birger asked in bewilderment.

Hiccup jumped down the two steps onto the stone path moving towards the back of the island, Ruffnut moving to follow behind.

"Don't follow me Ruff, I need some time alone."

Ruffnut stopped in her tracks and looked back at Birger who turned to go into the house to look for his charge out of concern.

Ruffnut stood on the stone path worried about the future of Hiccup, worried that his future was doomed before it even truly started. Doing what she did best, she ignored her friend's orders and followed him at a distance. She didn't want to lose another chief so soon.

* * *

Running down a well-worn path passed a massive smooth rock and a broken tree, Hiccup moved down the chasm to where he had kept Toothless when dragons were still being hunted.

The heavens had started to open bringing a light rain to the island. Slipping on some mud near the small pond he came to rest near the opposing wall. Dropping to his knees to try and gain control over his emotions, Hiccup breathed heavily looking at his reflection in a small puddle.

"It's my fault, it's all my fault. I'm the reason my father is dead. If I hadn't been so stupid to think that kind of man could be reasoned with, a mad man." He said as he slammed his hand down into the cool mud, water droplets flying into the air before settling down once more.

"My dream of having humans and dragons together got my father killed. I didn't want to be chief so soon, but my actions led me to becoming the very thing that I tried to put off for so long." Hiccup gave a slight chuckle at the irony.

The rain droplets hit harder now as he realized his mistakes; mistakes that led to losing the one person he wanted to impress the most. He hadn't been able to impress his father when he was busy fighting dragons but during the five years of peace, they had slowly become closer. But now that was over and it was all because of him. His stupid naivety led his father to his death, nearly caused him to lose the love of his life and everyone else on Berk. "Stupid. Stupid."

"Ahhhhh!" He yelled standing up and yelling towards the heavens.

"Why?! Why him? Why not me, it was my fault all along. Why not take me, I went against nature and tamed a dragon! I proved you all wrong! I proved that even a hiccup can be just as good as everyone else!" Hiccup screamed at the Gods and their judgement.

"You're the cowards! You do nothing but judge we insignificant humans, why not come down and face me!" He yelled pounding his chest in a challenge to the Gods.

"Face me and give me back my father, he did nothing wrong. He deserves to be with his wife, his people and me especially! Give him back!" Hey screamed standing up straighter, pointing his head toward the sky.

He ripped his shoulder pads and armor off piece by piece till he was in nothing but his tunic and pants. Opening his arms up and ready to accept whatever challenge came, "take me!" Looking up at the heavens, water cascaded down his face onto his body soaking him. Nothing ever came, no challenge or threat, just more rain.

"Why must I always lose something to gain something?" He whispered as he finally succumbed to his fatigue and fell forward slightly before catching himself with his hands. He now leaned over the same stupid puddle, looking at his reflection which was still staring cruelly back at him.

" _I lost my leg to gain Elsa, I lost my father to become chief, will I have to lose something else to marry Elsa?"_ He thought as he watched a tear slide down and off his face before it plopped into the puddle causing a ripple. Letting himself go, he allowed himself to cry, which he hadn't done in so long.

* * *

Looking from a far Elsa watched Hiccup's actions, he was now crying in the rain. " _He's going to catch a cold if he continues this."_ Moving forward a little she stopped, realizing something. "He was holding in his emotions fearful that he would be seen as weak, mercy he had every right to be angry. I lied to him for so long, I knew the truth, he didn't and still believed it would all work out in the end peacefully. How could I be so blind?" She asked the trees around her. Hearing a twig snap she looked over her shoulder to see Ruffnut coming to her side, with Birger leaning against a tree some ways away to give the two some privacy.

"You're not blind, your highness. Your just in love." Elsa looked at her curiously. "What? I can be smart too. I just choose not be, it's not as fun." Pressing on Ruffnut decided to give her chief a helping hand. "You were so in love with Hiccup that you believed everything would fall into place without your interaction, but the thing is that some things need a human touch to be completed. Not by others but by you. You need to go to Hiccup and tell him you still love him, that after everything you still want to marry him." Ruffnut said softly as she looked at Elsa fully.

She couldn't believe it; she was having a woman to woman discussion with Ruffnut of all people.

"How long have you know?" Elsa asked stunned that she knew about the marriage situation.

Ruff flexed her shoulders at the questions. "A little while, I was snooping around Stoick's desk in his room and came across a letter. I almost rushed out to tell Hiccup, but I knew that it would eventually lead back to me and I knew my punishment would have been severe. I may be a good thief and an amazing liar, but even I can't lie good enough to trick Stoick the Vast."

Ruffnut said as she put her hand on the tree to lean over the edge to see her friend and chief crying into a puddle.

"So I put the letter back and kept my mouth shut, I even tried to keep Astrid away from Hiccup a few times. She is the only one who is truly blind. She just can't accept the fact that Hiccup chose you over her. You will have to watch out for her in the future. I'll do what I can." Taking a breath for a moment before continuing on.

"I guess that is why Hiccup chose me over Astrid to be his personal guard. Because he knew how it would make you feel having her so close to him all the time. He is the smartest of us all, and I promise to do whatever it takes to keep him safe. You have my word on that." Ruffnut said as she bowed in respect toward her future Chiefess.

Elsa felt a range of emotions ranging from joy to relief to one she couldn't identify, she felt like crying at the dedication this Viking had toward her and Hiccup. She was truly blessed to have such good people in her life. "Thank you Ruffnut, for everything you have done and will continue to do for Hiccup. I will remember your name, perhaps we will even become friends one day. Now if you will excuse me, I need to talk to Hiccup."

Elsa moved passed Ruffnut down the chasm where she stepped lightly onto the ground. With every step she became wetter and wetter; at least in the forest the trees had allowed some protection but in the cove there was no protective screen. She wrapped her cape around her, her only protection now. Soon she was upon Hiccup as he was still kneeling on the ground over that little puddle.

Moving down Elsa wrapped her arms around Hiccups torso and hugged him to her, disregarding the fact that he was partially covered in water and mud. Gerda would not be pleased once she saw the state of her dress, but that was for later.

Hiccup felt Elsa pull him in for a hug, which he readily returned. He just too tired to push her away and he needed for warmth to ward off this cold.

They stayed like that for a while, Hiccup crying onto Elsa's shoulder and Elsa herself trying to use her cape as a blanket for the two of them, it kind of worked.

Finally, after much silence Hiccup spoke. "I wish I had learned more about him, I wish I spent more time with him, I wish I showed him more love and understanding. I wish for so many things." Elsa just nodded at this, she had wished for the very same things when her parents were taken from her too early.

"Do you believe Stoick didn't tell you because he thought you would have hated him?" Hiccup sighed and took his head off her shoulder to look at her fully.

"Most likely. I probably would have flown off and not returned for a week or two. I believed he didn't tell me because he had prearranged so much of my life already and one more thing would have scared me or caused me to rebel." He said then looked at the cove around them before settling back on Elsa.

"I mean just look at us, two people who would have never met without the contract are arranged to marry and rule two separate entities. So much of our lives have been arranged without our consents: we have been arranged to become basically royalty, to become a Chief or a Queen, to rule a village or a kingdom and my father probably believed that if he told me one more thing concerning my prearranged life, I would have run away." He hung his head in shame and the thought of running away from his fears and life.

"But you would have returned to my side, right?" Elsa asked hesitantly fearful that he would actually want to run away.

"Yes, and… and I am sorry about hitting you, I was just angry that you lied to me and everything with my dad dying and all; but there is really no excuse at all for such a spontaneous action."

"I forgive you Hiccup and it is understandable considering what you went through recently. I hope this made everything easier for our future together."

"It has, which makes these next nine words so much meaningful. I love you and will you marry me Elsa?" Hiccup held Elsa's left hand up and looked at her hopingly.

Stunned at the fact that he was actually asking her. "You know you don't have to ask me that, right?"

"I know, but I just want to be romantic." Hiccup looked at her with an expectant face.

Sighing at the hopeful face Hiccup was giving her, she let her inner desires come to the surface.

"Yes, of course I will marry you Hiccup." Hiccup leaned forward and captured her lips with his own.

He pulled back from the kiss long enough to bring out the small silver ring, he slowly dragged her green glove off and placed the ring around her ring finger, "this is a promise that I will make you a newer, better ring and marry you. I hope in the near future."

Elsa looked down at the small silver ring and felt so relieved that the two were officially together as fiancés. She slowly put her glove back on to see that it fitted snugly around her now ringed finger.

"Indeed, it will have to be after my coronation. Maybe we can announce at the coronation, and then marry a little while after all the headaches of being Queen are gone, which will give you time to adjust to being a Chief."

"Your coronation is in July, are you ready?" Hiccup asked as he stood up, pulling Elsa up with him.  
"A little nervous but you will be there and will not let anything happen to me, correct?"

"Of course Elsa. Come on we need to go back to the village. Oh and happy birthday."

"Thank you, and this has been the best birthday present I've ever had." She said as she kissed him on the cheek.

The two moved out of the cove and were flanked immediately by Ruffnut and Birger who smiled at the young couple. Elsa nodded towards Ruffnut in thanks; who nodded right back.

Elsa looked up to see that the rain had stopped, but the four of them were still soaked. Hiccup had managed to put his armor back on, minus the pads and extra pieces.

She also noticed that most of Berk's citizens had gathered at the center of the village to see the two coming out of the forest together. Some were still working on the roofs of the buildings, but they mostly wanted to know what the two had been doing in said forest.

Stopping just a few meters away from the large crowd, Hiccup addressed his people.

"I have asked Princess Elsa for her hand in marriage, and she has accepted. We marry in three years' time; I present you your future Chiefess! Princess Elsa Andersen of Arendelle!" Hiccup shouted with joy.

The crowd, Elsa's guards, everyone cheered and clapped at the news. The dragons especially Toothless roared in approval, with the latter moving to nudge Elsa in acceptance. "See Elsa" Hiccup whispered, "everyone loves us." He said then smiled at her then looked out upon Berk.

Elsa too looked at everyone to see smiles until that is she looked at Astrid who was giving a deathly glare at the two of them. " _All but one_." She whispered then turned to look at Hiccup, wanting to forget Astrid for this day was hers and she wouldn't let Astrid ruin it.

After having her birthday dinner and receiving her gifts which ranged from jugs of ale to hand carved furnishings to at least one small chest of gold. Once she bid her friends and guests goodnight she all but floated to her temporary home in the center of the village where she collapsed onto her soft bed and had the best night's sleep she had in years.

* * *

Waking up she went down to the docks and cast a memorial wreath into the ocean and gave a small speech stating how Stoick will never be forgotten, she has full confidence in Hiccup and once she becomes Queen, Arendelle and Berk will be closer than ever. Elsa felt that this was a trial run for her own coronation in seven months' time, and if it went as good as this then she has nothing to worry about.

She made her way alone up to the Great Hall having dismissed Birger to allow himself some free time with his men, which he immediately protested, but after ordering it she succeeded in gaining a few moments of peace. Finally making it to the top she was rewarded with a marvelous view of Berk, which was nearly restored to its former glory. She was supposed to receive a private tour with Gobber in three hours' time after she had filled herself with food and maybe gotten a quick nap in.

As she grasped the door handle a rough hand grabbed her, pulled her to the side and pressed her against the hard wall. Her blurry vision was restored to see that Snotlout was one who had pinned her against the stone wall. "Hey babe. Why don't you dump that useless hiccup and marry a real man like me?" He said as he breathed a little too heavily onto her.

Elsa could basically drink in the alcohol that wafted out of Snotlout's mouth. She nearly gagged as a result, Snotlout pressed himself against her then grabbed her wrists and pressed them firmly to the wall above her head.

"How about you release me and we will forget this ever happened?" Elsa responded as she tried to force herself away from Snotlout. She sensed her powers building inside her, ice began to form under her feet and they slowly moved toward the unaware Snotlout.

He smirked at the question, "oh that is a good idea, but no. Looks like I will have to force you to see it my way." He said then moved to kiss her but was flung back against a support pillar.

"Princess Elsa are you alright?" Birger asked as he moved in-between the two.

"Yes, and thank you. How did you know I was in trouble?" She asked rubbing her sore wrists, moving away from the wall.

Not taking his eyes off the crumbled Viking he spoke with his back to her, which was rude but under the circumstances she let it slide. "I had a gut feeling that you were in danger, I guess it was from all the years of protecting you that I couldn't follow your order to have some free time. I apologize for ignoring your command your highness." Birger said as he kicked Snotlout to see if he was awake.

Said Viking shot straight upwards and regained his posture. "Oh you're going to regret that old man." He said as he assumed a fighting position, fists clenched.

Birger drew his sword and moved into a defensive position. "I will defend Princess Elsa's honor at all costs, I request that you forfeit and leave in peace." Birger demanded, not moving from his place in front of Elsa.

Snotlout was about to retort but he heard the shuffling of feet and looked to see more guards surrounding them, some with irritated looks on their faces and others cracked their knuckles signaling they were willing to fight. Knowing he was in a lose-lose situation he walked away for a moment. "You better keep your mouth shut or else." Snotlout barked before heading inside for lunch.

"Shall we head back to your cabin to rest?" Birger asked as he sheathed his sword.

Not backing down, Elsa moved toward the doors. She didn't want Snotlout to taint this trip with just one display of roughness. She had experienced worse. "No, I am hungry and I know he won't try that again, come it is lunch time." Elsa advised as she pulled the massive door open with a little muscle. Birger and his guards followed without hesitation.

Hiccup drew his gaze to the opening of the door to see his fiancée walk inside, smiling he got up from his seat and walked down the aisles toward her table. Moving passed Snotlout who averted his gaze, he caught a scent that confused him. "Strange…I smell Elsa coming off of Snotlout. We wouldn't try something would he? No, he's not that stupid." He shook his head of the idea, and walked till he was standing at Elsa's table. All of her guards except for Birger were seated halfway down the table slowly eating their meats and stews, they occasionally cast a glance around as if they were on alert.

"Captain Birger, Elsa how are we today?"

Birger nodded once then went back to his stew; while Elsa slowly rubbed her wrist, "I'm fine just a little sore. I tripped on a rock and my wrist took the brunt of it."

"Oh, let me take a look. I will see to it that Gothi sees you as soon as possible." He responded as he placed his hand on her arm and drew down the glove to look at the bruise. Hiccup stopped at the realization of the shape of the bruise. "Elsa this is not a fall bruise; this looks like someone grabbed you. Who would dare har…" Then it clicked in his mind why Snotlout smelled like Elsa.

"Snotlout." He whispered with venom laced in his voice. Sensing what Hiccup was about to do, Elsa tried to stop him.

"Hiccup, he was drunk and Birger stopped him before anything happened, there is no need too… dammit." She said as Hiccup got up from the table and marched back towards his table where Snotlout was currently sitting with his now council members. Elsa stood up and tried to catch up but she was to slow. Hiccup stumbled a little from lack of sleep, he had managed only to get four hours of sleep during the night, from wanting to get everything organized to making sure no one attacked while they were still rebuilding.

Hiccup loomed behind the sitting Snotlout who was stuffing his face with ale and stew soaked breads. Feeling someone breathing on him he turned to see who it was but was rewarded with a fist to his cheek. He fell onto the ground and watched to see his chief squat over him and deliver blow upon blow to his head. Snotlout tried to shield himself but Hiccup caught his wrists and placed them above his head.

Soon the sounds of fist against skin was replaced by the sound of bones breaking and blood flying onto the floor.

Elsa ran over to see that Snotlout's face, nose and mouth bleeding profusely with Hiccup still delivering blow after blow, she heard Hiccups fist hit Snotlout's face and it sounded squishy.

"Hiccup stop it!" She screamed at him. He did not stop immediately; he gave two more hard punches before he finally stopped.

Standing up and breathing heavily over the unconscious, prone form of his naval commander, he looked out to see all eyes on him. Some had fear while others only gave a nod of understanding and respect towards their chief. He heard blood dripping and looked around to see where it was coming from.

Hiccup cast his gaze downward to see that it was coming from him, blood was slowly dripping off his hand, apparently he had cut his knuckles open on Snotlout's face.

"Elsa is my future wife and your future queen, you will respect her at all times! If you see anyone hurting her or insulting her honor, you will protect her. And no one is to touch her except for me! Is that understood?!" He bellowed out so everyone could hear. All the Vikings and anyone else in attendance nodded and stared in amazement that their little Hiccup had become a true Viking Chief. "Take him to Gothi's." He said pointing at Snotlout, as he merely stepped over him.

Stopping at Elsa, he smiled. "I think I will take a nap now; will you assist?" He asked quietly.

Elsa too numb by what she saw to think clearly just nodded and looped her hand around Hiccups arm to support his tired body.

The two walked silently down the hill and into Hiccup's home, Valka moved to help but was waved off by Elsa. They hobbled up the staircase where Hiccup collapsed onto the bed. She moved to take off his boot, prosthetic leg, and extra clothing. There was no shame between them, she was taking care of him and nothing more.

Valka brought up some warm water, bandages and gave a small smile to the young Elsa in understanding. Her time, though brief was done taking care of Hiccup, it was all up to the young future queen now.

Elsa wiped off the dried blood and wrapped his knuckles in bandages. She planted a kiss on his forehead before he drifted off to sleep. They knew they didn't need to say 'I love you', it was always there surrounding them like an invisible shield that kept their demons at bay. His fear of becoming chief too soon and her fear of losing control of her powers.

They knew as long as they were together they could accomplish anything. "I love you Hiccup and I promise to watch your back, no matter what happens, I will keep this promise." She whispered as she brought out a chair, sat on it and watched him sleep in peace. Soon the soft snores of two young royals filled the room, quietly Valka came up and placed a blanket around each to stave off the cold.

She was so proud they had worked it out, after all the fights, personal losses and arguments they were finally engaged. Valka gave her own promise that she would see to it that they wedded even if it cost her own life.

"They deserve happiness, and no matter what the worlds throws at them they will achieve it. I know that much is certain. I just wonder what the world _will_ throw at them _."_ She whispered as she drifted down the stairs to see Toothless sleeping near the fire. "Perhaps I too will take a nap." She chuckled as she moved into her and Stoick's old bedroom, before catching some much needed rest. Happy that she was finally reunited with her son and his future family.

* * *

 **Authors Notes** : Well there you have it chapter thirteen, expect this to be the new time schedule for all future releases. So look for chapter fourteen by late August or early September. Drop a review if you have the chance, they really help to keep me writing and the constructive criticism and complements are always welcome. I hope everyone has a great summer, till next time I love you all and keep reading.


	14. Long Live the Queen

**Author's Note** : I would like to offer my apologies for the long delay, it was never my intention to release it after so many months past the original due date. For most of you liked my chapters, posted reviews, and gave me thanks and yet I still made you wait for over half a year.

I am still far from finishing this story, at least six chapters or so. And my schedule remains busy but I swear to you all that I will finish my story. It may take me months, even years to finish it; but I will finish it. I have spoken to R-dude and Red Star and they assured me that they have no plans to abandon their respective stories and will finish them in due time. I hope that you all will continue to read my story and continue to post reviews, and thanks for reading.

I extended the coronation scene to include a few hymns, prayers and actual texts. I watched the coronation of King Harald V of Norway from 1991 on YouTube. It was very informative.

 **Warning** : There is a brief fight scene and a hint of lime in this chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's:** _ **Frozen**_ **or DreamWorks:** ** _How To Train Your Dragon._** **I also do not own the** ** _Nicene Creed,_** **the** ** _Te Deum Laudamus,_** **or the Royal Anthem of Norway** ** _._**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

 _Long Live the Queen_

"Your Highness? … Your Highness? … Princess Elsa?" Marie asked a little louder this time towards the young monarch who was currently staring off into space. There was only a month left of preparations before the coronation of Princess Elsa was to take place. Official replies were still coming in on whether that kingdom would come or not. A menu was being looked at, wines and champagne were being tasted and allergies were being noted. They did not want to cause an international incident this early into their future queen's reign.

Elsa snapped out of her daze at the mention of her name. Looking down she saw that she had been listing things she intended to change when she became Queen. Only recently did the council her father assembled allow her to see unrestricted files of the economy and state of Arendelle.

She was less enthused after seeing the documents; taxes had not been raised to flow with the economy, domestic spending was down and from what she could tell, the infrastructure was slowly deteriorating. Reports of roads, ports, and bridges breaking down from lack of upkeep were in the hundreds. She was about to inherit a massive mess. " _What is the council doing with all the tax revenue? Perhaps I will ask Birger to take a small vacation and review some of these reports."_ Elsa thought scanning over another broken bridge published over a month ago, in a village up in the northern frontier.

She brought her wine glass to her lips and tilted upward but nothing came, looking down she noticed it was empty. "Marie, refill my glass." She said then placed it next to the open bottle as she looked over at her picture of Hiccup that he had drawn of himself and had given to her as a gift.

"Your Highness, this is your third glass, perhaps you should slow down." Marie said quietly, wanting to make sure she put it as delicately as possible. She truly cared about the well-being of her future Queen and wanted to make sure she made it to that day.

Elsa slowly turned her head and looked at her courtier, "and perhaps you will do as you are told and refill my glass. I did not ask for your backtalk." Elsa snapped at the young woman; she was stressed from the reports and wanted to drink, not have a conversation on her health.

Marie flinched under the order, she gripped the bottle and poured the rest of its contents into the glass. "Good, now bring another bottle."

Marie excused herself and left the room for the wine cellar.

Hearing a faint knock she called for whomever to enter. It was Gerda.

"Whatever is the matter, Elsa? The poor girl looked horrible coming from your room." Gerda asked as she came to stand near her charge.

"Marie quipped that I should slow down on drinking, it is not her concern how much I drink, just that she refills my glass when ordered to." She said then sighed back into her chair and looking up at the ceiling. "I had years to prepare, and yet I feel no more ready than I did three years ago, I'm scared and anxious about what my reign will bring me."

Gerda put her hand on Elsa's shoulder, "you are not alone Elsa. All princes and princesses have felt this way. Just remember that you have me, your council and Hiccup to look after you."

Looking around and finding an empty leather tube on the ground she noticed Hiccup's letter on her bed. "Is there something else troubling you Elsa? Perhaps regarding Hiccup?"

Elsa sighed once again, "You know me too well. I just received a letter from Hiccup in which he stated that he will not be able to start full trading till after I become Queen because the council put his tariff at forty-five percent of the value of the declared items. Which he says is ridiculous and he believes it is because he is a Viking and not 'good enough' for them. That is why I am irritated and consuming my weight in wine." Taking another sip from her glass to prove her point.

"The council is only doing what they think is best. They have been ruling in your stead for almost three years now. In less than a month you can change whatever laws or tariffs you want."

Elsa nodded her head to this. "Which I will, because forty-five percent is way too much. We only charge twenty-five percent to the Kingdoms of Weselton, Sverige, and the Southern Isles. I don't know why the tariff was set at such a high point. Doesn't the council know of the contract?"

Gerda raised and lowered her shoulders. "Possibly not, I believe your father only told a few select people. Perhaps it is time to visit your parent's chambers and read their notes and letters."

Elsa looked over her shoulder at Gerda who was still standing near her nightstand. She then turned back to look out the window at the mountains. "Has it really been nearly three years?" Elsa asked no one.

"It has Elsa and I believe going into their chambers might give you some closure or at the very least answers to unsolved questions."

A few moments of silence passed before Elsa got up. "Okay, let's go." They made their way down a few hallways and up a set of staircases before coming to her parent's door. "I will be waiting outside, call for me if you need help." Gerda said as she moved to rest against the far wall.

Steeling her nerves, she turned the handle down and moved into the old room, a light coat of dust blanketed the furniture. Remembering the layout of the room, she knew the door to her right led to her father's and mother's personal study. Moving through that door brought her to two desks one at different ends of the room, on the left her mothers and on the right her fathers. After a few moments of opening drawers and flipping through pages did she find a lone copy of a letter from her father to Stoick. She set that letter aside for reading later. Turning around to go to her mother's desk, she found a letter written to the council informing them of the contract, it was dated nearly two decades ago.

" _So, they do know; does that mean they think Hiccup is not good enough for me or that they wish to gain more money from him because they believe he has boundless limits of wealth that he could have gotten from my father? Or maybe they just forgot about the contract. No, it can't be all that, they must have the original and no one can forget about something this important; well maybe Stoick but that's beside the point. I will find the true answer at our first meeting the day after my coronation. Hiccup will be with me and they will give me an answer_." Elsa thought to herself.

Turning back to the letter addressed to Stoick, she pulled out a chair and sat down to look over its contents. After a few minutes, she dropped the letter stunned at its secrets. "So, my father wanted to use the dragons to settle an old score with Weselton. I can't believe he asked if it was possible to use the dragons as weapons, thankfully Stoick rebuked at the idea and instead promised to annihilate the dragons but send their teeth and scales as a gift. I must not let Hiccup ever find this letter; he would lose the image of my father that kept him going when his own father ignored him."

After folding the letter and putting everything back in its rightful place, did she finally move out of the study. Finding the key to the door she locked it and held onto the key. Making her way back into the hallway to see Gerda sitting on a nearby chair down a few paces from the door.

"Find anything of interest?"

"Yes, a few questions have been answered, while a few more have not. Have the maids clean the room, I don't want to see my parents room in such a sad state again. Oh, and make sure no one goes into their study, and I have taken the key for safe keeping."

Gerda nodded her head, "it will be done, your highness."

"Thank you, now I will retire to my room to finish my list of things I want to accomplish once I become queen." Turning around she left Gerda to her duties and moved down the hall till she reached the bottom of the stairs where she gave her parents the last hug she has ever given them. "Now I only have Hiccup left. I hope he is doing well."

* * *

" _Shit. I have really done it now. Stopped to help my fellow Vikings who turned out to be assassins, just my luck. On the one day, I let Ruffnut have off… Was that coincidence or were they watching me_?" Hiccup thought as he eyed the three formerly in distress Vikings who recovered within seconds to knockout Toothless and put him on the defensive.

Hiccup glanced over to Toothless, his head still oozing blood. Anger boiled in his body, but he pushed it down. Better to fight smartly than brazenly.

Thinking back to how all this started, he and Toothless were patrolling an unnamed island and saw a distress signal and two Vikings trying to move a log off another Viking's leg. They descended and moved to help the three, and before he could blink a trap was sprung and Toothless was knocked out by a falling tree limb. Looking at his circumstances he was in a grave situation; his smoker broken in pieces in front of him from a carefully thrown spear, and now he was outnumbered with only a dagger and shield for defense. The three assassins were in varying distances from him; one with a spear was the nearest, behind him was one with an ax and the furthest he could see a bow. " _I will not die, I will marry Elsa, lead my people and live on_!" he said then thought of a way out of this mess.

But before he could come up with a suitable plan they attacked. The nearest one rushed towards him with a spear, he deflected and shattered his opponents weapon with his superior dragon shield that was strapped around his left arm and before he knew what he was doing Hiccup drove his dagger into the throat of the Viking.

A problem presented itself when he tried to pull his dagger out of the man's now blood spewing throat; it wouldn't budge. There was the sound of a low whistle and suddenly he was on his knees with his ears ringing and his helmet thrown to the side.

Rolling over and recovering he dodged a swipe of the ax, just grazing his face with a light cut. The massive Viking swung again and Hiccup angled his shield so that the ax bounced off and buried itself into the ground. Giving him only a few seconds to act, Hiccup smashed his shield into the face and chest of his enemy. He heard a crunch of metal and bone. Pulling back, he saw that he had broken the nose and jaw of the ax wielder, blood flowed out of the orifices and onto the ground.

He had expected the Viking to peddle back, but instead, the giant merely grabbed his shield, smacked it to the side and landed a solid left hook into his stomach.

He dropped to his knees coughed into the air before he was kicked over onto his back and glanced up to see the ax-wielding Viking poised to make the final strike with his ax. Too confused to try and defend himself he resigned himself to his fate. " _I'm sorry Elsa and Toothless; I tried_." He thought and closed his eyes.

He heard the man give out a grunt signaling he was bringing the ax down onto him.

"Hiccup!" He heard Elsa yell. His eyes snapped open and just in time brought his shield up to stop the ax from killing him. He visibly saw the ax make a dent on the underside of his shield, pushing the shield and ax to the side he grabbed his enemy's dagger that was strapped to his leg and drove it into the unprotected groin of his enemy. The man yelled out, dropped his weapon, and doubled over in pain. Moving quickly, he withdrew his emergency dagger that was tucked away on the side of his prosthetic. Hiccup pierced the man's chainmail and thrust his knife into the man's chest; another down.

As he was getting up, he felt a stinging pain glance his side then the sound of footsteps filled his ears and as he was turning around the last assassin threw himself onto hiccup forgoing any weapons and proceeded to choke the life out of Hiccup. "I will make you suffer for killing my comrades, you piece of filth."

Hiccup brought his hands up to the man's chest and tried to push him off but he would not budge. His vision was losing focus and darkness were closing in around him, he could see the hatred in the man's eyes, a small sadistic smile forming on his face. And then it was gone, replaced with a mist of red blood, and pointed white bone.

The man's headless body rolled off him and looking to his right saw a puff of steam coming out of Toothless' mouth.

"Nice shot Toothless," Hiccup yelled over to his friend, he released an exhausted breath relieved that the battle was over.

After getting up and retrieving his weapons from the fallen enemies, he moved over to his friend and proceeded to give him aid. Placing a small piece of gauze on his forehead and subsequently applying a coating of dragon saliva to make it stick did he allow himself to look back at the carnage. Blood was still streaming out of the fallen bodies coating the ground with brown and red ooze. Hiccup looked down on his own person and saw it too was coated in blood; he would worry about that later until he shifted to his left. Mind blinding pain coursed through his stomach.

Glancing down he saw an opening the size of a coin in his lower abdomen. "Dammit, that last Viking hit me with an arrow, thankfully it just grazed me. But my sewing kit is at home, what to do?" If he didn't stem the bleeding, he could get an infection and die. Hearing a small whine, he looked over to Toothless, he had his mouth open.

"Smart idea, bud." Reaching in and swiping out some saliva he placed his coated palm on his wound. A small jolt of pain reared its head again. "Oh, Thor does that hurt." He cautiously wrapped his wound in gauze and slowly stood up straight only to fall to his knees in pain.

Looking over to the fallen men, several thoughts coursed his head. "I just killed someone, those men possibly had families. They were someone's father, brother, son, friend, husband or even lover. I can't believe this happened, I just tried to help them and they attacked me… who, why? Who would hire someone to kill me? Was it Drago or some new enemy? I need to find out soon and make changes."

Taking one last look at the headless Viking he felt hot bile rise from the depths of his stomach course up through his throat and out of his mouth onto the ground. He choked back tears as more bile came out till he was just dry heaving. Crawling over to his flight pack that was strapped to Toothless' side he reached for his water sack, uncorking the top he released its contents into his mouth. The first mouthful was used to rid himself of the remaining bile and the second to ease his burning throat.

Looking back over at his best friend, "I guess we're not children anymore, we are grown up. What a horrible way of becoming a man." Toothless grunted softly to the agreement of his friend.

Placing the water sack back in its rightful place he moved over to the dead and searched their bodies. After finding coins, daggers, and a letter addressed to them from an unknown writer, Hiccup placed all three men on top of one another. Dribbling some fuel onto them that he usually used for starting a fire, he stroked a piece of flint against his dagger causing a flame to ignite the fuel and started to consume the decomposing flesh of his enemies.

"These men don't deserve a proper funeral. Striking from the shadows on someone who came under false notions of helping their fellow man." Hiccup whispered as he turned around and mounted Toothless, mindful or both their injuries.

" _What a wrong decision to give Ruffnut the day off. But I can't have her working twenty-four, seven; she could lose her edge. Perhaps I will have Astrid protect me when Ruffnut needs time off. Just long enough for her to stop bugging me that I am ignoring her; which I think I am doing_."

After an hour of flying did they finally touch down onto to familiar soil. He tried making it to his home unnoticed but failed when Fishlegs spotted him.

"Hiccup, I mean Chief what happened? Why are you covered in blood and limping? Were you attacked?!" He said that last word a little too loud, garnering the attention of several Vikings.

Moving into his home with Fishlegs in tow, he moved to sit down on his favorite chair. The same one his father had always used when he had a stressful day.

"Fishlegs, I want you to gather my inner circle and bring Gothi here immediately. There is something I need to say. Go now."

Fishlegs nodded his head and left to gather Gothi, Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, and Eret. Several moments passed before he could hear several concerned sounding conversations taking place outside his house. A second later his front door burst open nearly causing it to fly off the hinges, and the large group streamed into the downstairs.

"Hiccup what is going on and why are you covered in blood?" Ruffnut blurted out.

Hiccup told them what happened including everything but the feeling of regret and vomit part. He didn't want to appear weak in front of his friends.

"Who would dare send assassins after you?" Astrid questioned.

"We must find whoever orchestrated this and destroy them." Eret voiced, Tuffnut and Snotlout nodding their heads in approval.

Ruffnut dropped to her knees and bowed her head in shame, "Hiccup forgive me for asking off, I will not do it again. I will protect you no matter what, day or night till my time comes." She said in an unwavering voice steeling her resolve for not being there for her Chief when he needed her the most. Damn her body for making her feel ill.

Hiccup placed his hand on her shoulder and patted her in a silent forgiveness.

"It is not your fault Ruff, you need time off to sleep and rest from watching my back so often. I will continue to entrust my safety to you now and always. And when you need time off, I will have Astrid look after me." Glancing over to Astrid, she had grown a little, but still had her customary ax strapped to her back. "Are you up for it Astrid?"

Giving a small smirk, "Always Chief." Then gave her traditional punch to his arm.

Taking out the bag of coins, daggers, and the lone letter, he dropped them onto a nearby table.

"Fishlegs, I want you to look over these and find out who ordered my assassination."

"Right Chief." Fishlegs took the items and exited the house to take them to his personal study located in the library that had been recently built from all the new construction.

"Snotlout send out messages to all our patrols on the sea and tell them to be on alert for possible incursions into our waters. If they feel threatened they have permission to defend themselves." Snotlout nodded his head and left, moving toward the carrier dragons located next to the stables.

"Eret and Astrid have all future flying patrols pair up, no more lone watches. I want around the clock scouting of our waters and claimed islands. If they do find something have them send back a Terrible Terror with a message of their position. Understood?"

"Yes Chief," they said in unison before turning around and moving toward the stables.

"Tuffnut, I want you to make a sweep of the island and bring back a list of any Vikings we don't personally know, I want to make sure there are any more assassins or saboteurs in our home."

"Right Chief, but one question," Tuffnut asked quietly.

"Go on." Hiccup voiced back.

"What is a saboteur?"

Hiccup ruffled his own hair, looking embarrassed at using words too complex for some. He needed to tone down the rhetoric in the presence of his friends. "A saboteur is a person who deliberately destroys or damages a building or area for a military or political advantage."

"Okay, sounds good. I will make sure there are no more of those people around." Tuff said grinning then moved toward a group of Vikings and recruiting them to his new mission.

This left only Ruffnut and Gothi in the room.

"Gothi an arrow grazed me, can you sew it back up?" Hiccup gripped his shirt and drew it up to show the now oozing open wound. The gauze was missing and his skin was tinted bright red.

Bringing out a needle and thread, Gothi prepared the wound by rinsing it with water, a hiss escaped his lips at the feeling of the cool water flowing over the open wound. Ruffnut moved into the back of the house and a moment later with a bottle of ale. Uncorking the top, and tilting the open end towards Hiccups mouth, the ale flowed into his mouth and down his throat in long gulps. After consuming enough to make him somewhat braver, Ruffnut brought out a leather-wrapped stick and placed it in his mouth to bite down on.

"Ready?" Ruffnut asked. Hiccup nodded his head, teeth sinking into the leather in anticipation.

A shot of pain coursed through his body and he was about to jolt but Ruffnut put her weight on him to keep him in place. A groan seeped out through his closed lips. The ale had done nothing to ease the pain, but after a few moments a sense of calm had enveloped him and allowed Hiccup to relax which permitted Gothi to complete the procedure in relative quickness.

Moments later he felt Ruffnut carrying him to his bed, " _she is a lot stronger than she looks_." Hiccup thought and allowed her to unshackle his boot and leg.

" _I hope Elsa is doing good, I need to pray to the Gods more; she needs all the help she can get."_ A few seconds later sleep consumed him allowing his body to begin the long healing process.

Ruffnut stayed close by, not wanting any more damage to come to her Chief. "I will protect you Hiccup no matter what, even if it costs me my life."

* * *

Elsa had the sudden urge to come to the chapel where she was to be coroneted in and make a quiet prayer for Hiccup. She sensed Hiccup was in danger from the long shiver that coursed down her spine, and immediately set out for the second most private spot beside her room, the third being the library.

Kneeling on the floor and crossing herself with her right hand, " _in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost_." As Elsa was looking up at the small cross that was placed on the table in front of her, where the body of Christ was distributed into bowls for every mass a thought ran through her head. " _I need to come here more often, it is quite peaceful_."

"God, I know I don't pray as often as I should, but I was wondering if you could look after Hiccup for me? He may not believe directly in you, but he does believe in a different version of you."

Looking around at the lighting and the glass art, she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. The last time she was in here was the night after her parents were buried. She didn't come out of her room for too many people were in attendance in the church, plus Anna was there and she just didn't want to deal with her. It was selfish, but she did not care at that moment. She somehow felt like they died because of her. Looking down at her hands, "If I didn't have these stupid powers, none of this would have happened."

Looking back at the cross, "why did you curse me with these powers God? What did I do to deserve this?" She said angrily, her powers beginning to coat the inside of the church and pews. As she realized what she was doing, she chanted her mantra. "Conceal don't feel, don't let them know." After a few minutes, the ice disappeared and the church looked just like it had been when she first arrived.

" _That was close_." She thought, before turning back toward the cross and dipping her head. "Sorry about that God, and I am also sorry for not coming more often but, as you know I don't want to accidentally freeze this church from an unforeseen circumstance. If you could do what I asked I would be grateful. I promise to come every week and pray, it is the least I can do."

Elsa crossed herself again and left the Church with Birger in tow, "have a good prayer, your highness?"

"Yes, thank you for asking. How are we with the preparations?"

"Everything is going well; all the invitations have been returned with their respectful correspondence. Everyone who we asked to come will be attending, there will mostly Dukes and Lord's, but the Southern Isles is sending their youngest prince in hopes of updating their trade deal with us. The current deal will expire next month and I can imagine they will try to lower the tariff."

Elsa nodded at this, she imagined most of the representatives attending would want to talk to her about relations and trade deals. "As long as they don't ask me to dance I will be fine; that is reserved for Hiccup."

Moving down the familiar hallway towards the room, they stopped at the door, she could sense Birger wanted to ask her something but was hesitant to ask. "What is it, Birger?"

"Your highness, when do you plan to announce your engagement? Gerda is already making plans and preparing invitations for the engagement party. None of the maids or other guards know, but we are anxious to know what your intentions are."

Elsa was silent on the matter for a few seconds before she spoke up.

"I intend to announce my engagement a month after my coronation, when everything has been settled and I have grown accustomed to being Queen, then I will send out the announcement. Are there any other concerns?"

"None your highness." Tipping his head in respect.

"Then I will take my leave, good day Birger." Elsa said moving into her room.

"Good day your highness." He said as the door closed.

Moving over to her desk she noticed a leather tube with a note attached, " _Arrived while you were attending church,"_ it was signed by Gerda. Uncorking the tube and allowing the letter to slide out she saw that it was from Hiccup. A smile came to her face, taking off her slippers and discarding her coat she moved to sit with her back against the pillows on her bed. Unfurling the letter, she started to read but stopped. Something was off with this letter, it was only a little over two pages long and a sense of dread enveloped her, usually his letters were multiple pages long. Plus he always put " _to my beloved_ " at the start of the letter, but this time it just said her name. Taking a deep breath, she read on.

" _Dear Elsa, I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to give you a small update as to the goings on of Berk. Berk has forged new alliances with other Viking tribes, and we have claimed islands as our own in hopes of providing resources for future generations and more land in case we need to move off Berk if the need ever came up. We are spreading outwards, something my father would never have done. But since I am chief, I believe this is necessary to survive. And with expansion comes new problems and … enemies. A few years ago, we agreed that there would be no more secrets between us, that there would be a sense transparency. And about a week ago, something happened."_ Elsa felt her teeth chatter in anticipation and worry about what had happened. Taking a breath and letting it out, she glanced downward and felt her breath sucked out of her. " _I was attacked by assassins_." Her mouth dropped open and her brain went into overload status. " _Who, why, and how? Where was Ruffnut, when all this was going on? And what happens next?"_ She thought in the matter of a few milliseconds.

 _"_ _Now, you are probably wondering who, why, how? And where was Ruff? Well, I had given her the day off, for she needed it. Working nearly sixteen hours a day for six days straight would make anyone start to lose their edge. And for the who, why, and how. I have just been given the answers from Fishlegs who poured over pages and books of writings and letters to compare handwritings. It was Drago's doing. His handwriting matched the letter that I retrieved from the bodies."_

 _"_ _Bodies?"_ Elsa asked herself.

 _"_ _And yes, I did kill two of the men. Toothless killed the other, and I feel horrible for it. But at the same time, I know I must be ready to take more lives in the future. For many kingdoms and groups will not respect our union. They will try to break us and may resort to violence to keep us from marrying. A woman with ice powers and a man with dragons at his call would make quite a formidable couple. You must prepare yourself for this, I have sent off letters to Gerda and Birger telling them about what occurred and to take any measures as they see fit to ensure your safety after you make the engagement announcement. I know that this can be a little overwhelming, but you should know that I will not let anything happen to you. I swear it. I love you and will always love you no matter what happens between us. I have asked for volunteers willing to stay in Arendelle as a precaution. I have half a dozen willing, but they will only come if you give the word._

 _It is getting late and Johann is about to leave, so I must wrap this letter up. In regards to the attempt on my life, do not worry about it. I know I am asking a lot but I have changed the way things are done on Berk to catch any assassins that come. I assigned Astrid to my side when Ruffnut needs off, so someone is always watching my back. And Toothless sends his love. I love you, Elsa, I will see you soon and don't forget about that dance you promised me._

Under the context was his signature followed by the crest of Berk.

A wave of emotions coursed through her body; sadness, relief, anxiety, worry and finally anger. She felt mad at herself, "how can I be so stupid, how could I think that our marriage would be nothing but rainbows and sunshine. Of course, there would be people who did not see things her way and would try to break them apart. Why does everything have to be so complicated", she started to crumble the letter but stopped at the sounds it made.

"Breathe Elsa, just breathe. I think I will take a nap." She said as she got under the covers and let her mind drift to what the next days might hold, " _hopefully they will be stress-free_." But she knew they would be anything but.

* * *

"Everyone ready?" Hiccup asked his team as they were readying their dragons in the cliff side stables.

"Yes, Chief!" Fishlegs and Astrid shouted out as they attended to their dragons. Ruffnut was going to fly with Hiccup on Toothless, for Tuffnut, Snotlout, Eret and Valka were staying at home to watch over the island.

"Toothless stop moving so much bud, I need to secure this new harness. I designed it so two people can fly, but you can still fly on your own if you want. Hey, Fishlegs? Do you have the gifts I asked you to bring?"

Fishlegs turned around after taking a moment to tie his satchel to his saddle. "Yes Chief, I brought the dragon scales and steel, the gold and the book of dragons. They are spread evenly across all three dragons to balance the weight out."

"Good job Fishlegs."

Astrid moved from Stormfly over to Toothless to calm him while Hiccup secured the final straps.

"Hiccup what is my purpose on the trip?" Astrid asked as she smoothed out some wrinkles on the saddle.

Standing up straight, Hiccup looked over at Astrid. "You asking me that now? I already told you a week ago, Ruffnut will be my guard, Fishlegs my advisor when it comes to negotiating the trade deal and you will be gaining any information you can from these new kingdoms. You like to hit on men, just be sure not to do it so literally this time." Hiccup chuckled at his own joke but failed to dodge the familiar punch to his arm. "Ow!" He shouted as her fist contacted his arm.

"You know at this rate, I will have a purple bruise there forever."

Astrid smirked at his response, "Well maybe if you weren't such a smart ass, I wouldn't have to knock you down a peg or two."

"Oh, ha-ha."

Both turned at the sound of Stormfly, Meatlug, and Toothless cackling. "Oh, yes please everyone laugh at my pain."

"Son. Hiccup!" Valka shouted as she walked over to the dragon trough. She dipped her hands into the water to rinse off the mud and sweat she had gained from cleaning Cloudjumper.

Turning around he looked at his mother who was cleaning her hands and waited for her to come over. This gave him a moment to marvel at his success in building a true dragon hanger. He had been in here hundreds of times, but he still caught himself looking at its beauty. The hanger was built onto the side of the cliff, while the stables were carved into the hill with an additional exit bored into the back of the hanger and exiting out into the main square. Water was brought in via the aqueduct and food was brought in via a wench from the ceiling. The fire lit torches brought a homely feel to the cave and from all the body heat and closable storm shutters, the cold was a mere afterthought. This was perhaps his crowning architect achievement; for the moment, at least.

"Yes, mother?" Hiccup asked as she walked over.

"Do you have everything? Is there anything else you need? Are you ready?" Valka asked her son in quick succession.

"Yes, no and yes. Mom, please calm down. I have flown there before, by myself and through a massive storm all without injury. We are flying there with plenty of time to spare and should land in Arendelle a full day before the ceremony. So please don't worry."

"Hiccup we're ready to go!" Astrid yelled. Hiccup looked over his shoulder to see Astrid and Fishlegs on their respective dragons and Ruffnut waiting in the passenger seat behind the main saddle. "Alr…" Hiccup started to say but was cut off for his mom enveloped in in a massive hug.

"Take care son, and give my love to Elsa." She said then kissed him on the cheek.

"I will." And at that, he turned around and hooked himself onto Toothless and waved at everyone in the hanger. "Let's go guys." Moments later they were on their way to Arendelle.

The sounds of a wooden spoon hitting the inside of a pot were heard as Hiccup made dinner for the group. Chicken stew with bread and ale to wash it down. He was rather proud of the fact that he was a decent cook. He hoped one day that he would make breakfast for Elsa and serve it to her in bed.

"Dinner is ready everyone!" He shouted to his friends, he moved to one of the baskets and threw a few baby Halibut towards the dragons.

Bowls were handed out and everyone grabbed their bread and dipped it into the stew and ate with fervor. The sounds of satisfaction and approval followed soon after.

Once their stomachs had stopped grumbling, they had gotten out their mats and blankets ready for an early sleep. "Hey, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked too awake to go to bed just yet.

"Yes?" Hiccup replied only a blink away from sleeping.

"What is your vision of Berk's future? I mean what do you have in store once we get back from Arendelle?"

Hiccup laid back down on his mat and looked at the stars for a few moments, pondering a suitable response.

"Well, for starters it won't be named Berk anymore."

At the sound of this everyone shifted onto their elbows or sides and looked at Hiccup.

"What do you mean, Chief?"

"It will be renamed as the 'Kingdom of Berk'."

No sounds were made as everyone contemplated the idea of Berk as a kingdom.

"Not to put a hole in your idea Chief, but to be a kingdom, it must have providences or territory. We have claims but that is all. I know that you are expecting Elsa to ratify or recognize your claim on those islands when you two marry, but that won't be for another two years at the least." Fishlegs inserted.

"Yes, that may be true, but during the meantime, I intend to forge more alliances and annex more islands. First being Itchy Armpit, it is unclaimed and no one lives there except for a few hunters. It has more than enough resources to sustain us for the near future, and most of all it has living space for us to expand into in case we run out of room on Berk."

"That is definitely different from what your father had in mind." Ruffnut quipped in.

Hiccup was silent for a moment before responding. "My father believed in hiding from the world, I believe in showing the world that they have nothing to fear. If we can show other kingdoms that dragons can be tamed and controlled, then they need not exterminate them like we tried to."

"Then what will stop them from taming dragons and using them like Drago did, for war?" Astrid gave her opinion at Hiccup's idea.

"Then we will make sure that we prevent that from happening, we will put an embargo on all trading of dragons. We will make sure the only kingdoms that possess dragons are the ones that promise not to use them for an offensive war. But enough of this, I know you all have questions and I promise to answer them later, but first, we must catch some sleep. We are only three days from Arendelle and the coronation starts in three and a half days. Everyone go to sleep." Hiccup said then turned on his side and promptly closed his eyes, ending any chance of continuing the conversation.

Astrid got up and moved over to Stormfly, "I will take first watch. Ruffnut I will wake you in a few hours."

Ruffnut nodded her head and went to sleep, followed by Fishlegs.

Astrid looked up at the stars and contemplated Hiccups vision, " _Is it possible for his vision to come true, can everyone coexist together in harmony?"_ Astrid chuckled at the ridiculous thought. "No, but we can at least try to make it so. It is the least we can do, we owe him that."

"Damn, we are going to be late!" Hiccup shouted in frustration. The moon had risen long ago and now they were flying in the dark with only an occasional plasma bolt or small flame to check his map.

"Sorry Hiccup, but you know Meatlug is not known for her speed but for her ability to hover an…" Fishlegs retorted but was interrupted.

"I know her abilities, and it's not just her it's all the dragons. I forgot to factor in the added weight of all the supplies and gifts."

"When do you think, we will arrive?" Astrid asked as she maneuvered Stormfly closer to Toothless.

Hiccup took a moment to look at his map, now illuminated by the full moon nearly at its zenith and at the ocean flying by below them.

"I think in about twelve hours, we will have three hours to spare."

Hiccup felt Ruffnut loosen her hold on his stomach, "three hours is plenty of time to get ready." She felt Hiccup tense up at the mention of the word 'plenty'. "Isn't it Hiccup?"

"Not really, I calculated that number without any more stops for food or going to the bathroom. We should arrive at nine o'clock and in that spare three hours, we must land, unpack, hide the dragons away in the cove, carry the sixty pounds of gear for each of us the three miles to the castle and then change clothing for the ceremony. It will be very close and if there are any more delays or breaks I won't be able to keep my promise to Elsa."

"Don't worry Hiccup, I have faith in the Gods that we will arrive with time to spare."

Hiccup looked up at the clouds for a moment, "you sure? They haven't been very kind as of late."

"Come on Hiccup." Astrid encouraged. "Your father is up there and maybe he will give us some winds to help us."

Ruffnut felt Hiccup tense up again but didn't say anything. She did see him look up at the clouds once more. "Yeah maybe." Hiccup whispered back.

Silence hung in the air for a moment as everyone thought of Stoick.

"Hiccup look!" Fishlegs shouted. Everyone snapped their gazes forward.

The sight of land with green forests followed by white mountain peaks became bigger and bigger as every second passed.

"Good, good. Okay, everyone, we must ascend and fly over the mountains then we can glide down into the cove once we see the castle." Hiccup clicked his prosthetic into position causing Toothless to rise. Everyone followed suit.

A sudden gust of cold wind sent them up quicker than he would have liked.

"Wow, did you feel that!" Ruffnut shouted out.

"I sure did. Rather cold for July." Fishlegs replied.

Hiccup looked around at the starry sky. " _Dad_?"

* * *

Three soft knocks brought Elsa out of her slumber and into a sitting position. "Enter." Elsa replied softly towards the door.

The door swiftly opened to reveal Gerda, Karin, Janne, and Lucia. "Did you sleep well, your highness?" Karin asked as she turned on a nearby gas lamp illuminating the bed chambers.

"Not really, I mostly tossed and turned and woke up every hour on the dot. I guess my nerves are getting the best of me, is everything ready?" Elsa asked as she turned over the sheets to reveal her light green nightgown to her handmaidens.

"The rest of the staff are making the final touches, we just need to start with you; your Highness," Gerda said back as she brought a hot cup of tea and biscuits to the side table near the window.

Getting up and moving off the bed, she walked over to the table to drink her favorite tea, calming her immensely. "What time is it?" Elsa asked as the sound of running water announced itself.

"About five o'clock; your Highness. The ceremony begins in seven hours and we have much to do." Janne replied as she prepared her combs and braids to arrange Elsa's hair in the traditional royal manner, a Fransk braided crown twist bun.

Turning around she watched as everyone was preparing to get her ready for the coronation. Karin was getting her bath ready, Janne setting several different shades of eyeshadow and lipstick down on the table in front of a large mirror and Lucia who was smoothing out the wrinkles which had accumulated on her royal teal dress. This was going to be the greatest amount of material she had ever worn. Accompanying the dress was the black long-sleeved turtleneck blouse with red and teal crystal prints, a magenta cape, dark brown flats with gold outlines and teal stockings and lest she forgets her future tiara crown.

Gerda moved forward and brought up a pair of gloves and laid them down in front of her.

Elsa took them in her hands and examined them, "they are new. Did you make them, Gerda?"

"No. They came a few days ago, from Trader Johann with a message written to me. It said to give them to you when you wake up on the morning of your coronation. You should try them on and make sure they fit. Try on the left one first; just a suggestion." Gerda said as she moved to check on the dress.

Doing as Gerda suggested, Elsa moved to insert her hand into the glove but stopped when she felt paper. Grasping the paper, she brought it out of the glove, to reveal a small note.

" _Dear Elsa: I made these gloves especially for today. I will see you soon. Love Hiccup."_

Elsa felt tears come to her eyes as the love from Hiccup coursed through her body. She blinked rapidly not wanting anyone to see the tears. " _Thank you, God, for giving me such a good man_." Elsa whispered to the glass window. Tucking the note back into the glove, she moved to finish her tea allowing the caffeine to fully wake her.

"The bath is ready, your Highness," Karin announced through the open door moving to set a fluffy towel down on a nearby stool.

Turning around she moved into the water closet and took off her nightgown revealing herself fully to the cool air and Karin.

Karin extended her hand which Elsa grabbed to steady herself as she brought up her leg and swung it over the tub and set it in the slightly hot water. A moment later she was submerged up to her neck in water and bubbles. "Ready?" Karin asked as she brought up a bucket full of warm water.

Elsa nodded her head and shut her eyes, the water was poured onto her head. A shiver ran down her spine as she was fully soaked. She stared into space as Karin bathed her, first her hair then her body, running a soapy cloth over nearly every inch of her skin. She caught a glimpse of Karin, she must have been only a few years older than herself. Brunette hair just like Hiccups, with a slender build and tanned skin. Karin and Hanna were the only two young handmaidens she had. Everyone else was Gerda's age but slightly slimmer.

"Where are Alexandra, Hanna, and Theresa?" Elsa asked suddenly, causing Karin to stop her rubbing of soap into her back.

"They are preparing for the arrival of Chief Hiccup and his council. I believe Birger will meet with him and suggest a bath, I would think after days of being aboard a ship that he would smell and the possibility of ridding himself of unwanted odors would be too good to pass up."

Elsa nodded and laughed a little. " _A ship? I know for sure that Toothless will be landing in the cove in a couple of hours. I just hope that they are not caught, I really don't want to explain to my people or the other kingdoms why my fiancée is riding a thing that was only read about in fairy tales."_

"Are you ready for the oils Princess Elsa?"

"Yes, please proceed."

Karin nodded her head once more as she poured generous amounts of oils on her back and arms, then moved to rub them in. By the time the bath was drained and she was in a fluffy soft robe, she felt like a greased fish. Karin came up behind her with another towel and dried her hair for her. Moving into her bedroom she saw Lucia waiting for her with a corset and undergarments. Taking off her robe, she put on her undergarments and allowed Lucia to help her into the corset.

Elsa had long ago accepted the fact that her handmaidens would have to see her in her natural form in order to fully accept them into her life. She had trained herself for hours on end not to freeze the water when she took baths alone. She could now take baths without her gloves on because she fully trusted these women not to mention anything when they saw her lips move and not ask what she was saying.

She relaxed her breathing as the final knot was tightened on the bottom of the corset.

Sitting down on the prepared seat, Janne spent the next three hours setting her hair into the correct position and then putting on a layer or two of makeup.

Lucia guided her into the dress and smoothed out any wrinkles that popped up. Gerda attached her cape and slipped on her flats.

Moving over to the table, she put on her right glove followed by the left, she maneuvered Hiccup's note to rest against the underside of her wrist under her black sleeve. Turning around she put her left hand on top of her right and rested them on her clothed abdomen. Elsa looked up at her handmaidens and Gerda in full regal mode, "how do I look?"

"Like a future queen, your Highness," Karin said softly and bowed, which was followed by all the women.

Gerda moved forward and took Elsa's gloved hands into her, "your parents would be proud and Hiccup will faint at the sight of your beauty."  
Elsa looked up at Gerda's face, "thank you for your kind words Gerda, you always know what to say. What time is it?" Elsa asked as she moved away and looked at the sun peaking the mountains.

"It is a little past nine o'clock," Gerda announced as she looked at a nearby hallway clock.

Elsa looked closely at the window, for just a split second she saw Hiccup and two other dragons with their respective riders fly by weaving between the mountain tops and then down into the forest.

Turning back around with a smile on her face, "right. I will be going to the library to practice holding the orb and scepter."

"Of course; do you want me to tell the Guards to open the gates to let the people in?" Gerda asked.

"No, not yet. I will give that order in an hour or two."

Gerda nodded her head and bowed.

Elsa moved out of her room, down the long hallway and into the library, closing the doors behind her. Moving past the model of a Viking ship, a gift from Stoick to her father after their signing of the marriage contract. Slowly she stepped in front of the large painting of her father at his coronation. A look of dread, fear, and realization settled on her face as the present caught up with her. In less than three hours she would be the queen of an entire kingdom. Over a million citizens would be looking to her for guidance and stability. She could feel her hands and teeth start to shake in anticipation of the coronation.

She delicately took off her gloves and grasped the orb and scepter and held them up as she whispered the words the bishop would say in the chapel. Slowly the orb and scepter started to freeze over as her fears got the best of her. "Dammit, Hiccup where are you?"

* * *

"Come on everyone pick up the pace, we have a little over two and a half hours till it starts!" Hiccup yelled to the Vikings who were lagging behind, mainly Fishlegs who was huffing and puffing as he mostly dragged his gear and supplies through the countryside.

"Coming Chief, _I need to work out more_." Fishlegs said, whispering the last part to himself.

"Hey, Hiccup do you think the dragons will be okay by themselves?" Ruffnut asked, moving to walk beside him with Astrid on his opposite flank.

"I do. Toothless has been here before and knows to stay out of sight. And since he is the Alpha, Stormfly and Meatlug should follow suit. Your dragon can follow orders, right Astrid?" Hiccup asked casting a gaze at his dragon academy teacher.

"No doubt, Chief."

"Good, then in thirty minutes give or take, we should arrive at the extended wall gate where Birger said he would be waiting. He will usher us in and take us to separate bed chambers where we can freshen up and then we will be led to the chapel. You three will wait outside, where you can partake in the festivities and local food. The shops and food stalls should be plentiful if you want to buy something be sure to exchange our coins for theirs at the currency exchange vendor." Hiccup stopped and turned around to look at his friends and inner council members.

"I cannot stress how important today is to us and our people, at this coronation my fiancée is becoming a queen who will open up so many new beginnings and opportunities for Berk. We must be our best behavior," he said looking at Astrid, Fishlegs and Ruffnut individually before continuing on. "If anything were to happen to Elsa or us in front of the representatives of the other kingdoms it could spell disaster before our alliance could bear fruit. Swear to me that you will do nothing to jeopardize this ceremony for Elsa."

Astrid, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut swore in unison to do nothing that would jeopardize the ceremony.

Hiccup smiled and turned out on his good foot to continue the trek toward the castle. The three Vikings cast a gaze at one another as the castle came into focus ahead of them. Their eyes widening at the scale and beauty of the building. A sliver of envy coursed through Astrid's veins at the thought of Elsa living here year round.

Birger was growing anxious with every minute that passed when Hiccup did not show up on time. To relieve his nervousness, he started to pluck gray and white hairs off his green hat, courtesy of Folgesvenn who had managed to trip up the captain and cause him to lose his hat. Folgesvenn then snatched it and ran off with it, he then spent a good half hour running up and down the halls after the dog, if it wasn't for princess Anna he would still be running.

Hearing a twig snap he snapped his gaze toward the sound. Hiccup and his friends were walking with a purpose toward him. Securing his hat on his head he pushed himself off the castle wall and toward the four Vikings.

"Hiccup, there is only two hours till the coronation. Why are you so late!" Birger yelled when they were in earshot.

"I know. I'm sorry. We had flight issues, and the added weight slowed us down. Where is Elsa?"

"Princess Elsa is in the library practicing holding the orb and scepter. But enough talk, we need to get you inside, bathed and changed. You all smell of fish and sweat. How are you all doing by the way?" Birger asked Astrid, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut.

"Good, fine, tired." Were the responses he got from the three Vikings. Stopping in the middle of a four-way interchange of the main hallway three handmaidens met them; Hanna, Theresa, and Alexandra. All three bowed toward Hiccup, who in turn nodded his head in respect.

"Hiccup, it has been too long. We will catch up later, but first, you need a bath. Theresa will help Fishlegs while Alexandra will attend to Ruffnut and Astrid." Hanna said directing Theresa and Alexandra to guide his friends toward prepared rooms.

"Wait." Hiccup said before anyone went their separate ways.

"Ruffnut, Astrid and Fishlegs, do you have the change of clothing I told you to bring?"

The three pulled out their clothing that was carefully packaged in brown paper and tied up with string. "Yes." They replied in unison while rolling their eyes. "Good, carry on." The three nodded and were led away be their respective handmaiden.

"What was that about Hiccup?" Birger asked when the others were far enough away.

"I had those three make a special version of their clothing, one that looks less hostile meaning no skulls or pointy edges in the most basic sense. Representatives of other kingdoms will see us and I want Berk to look good in front of them and that includes erasing the old image of bloodthirsty Vikings dressed in skulls and sharp stones." Hiccup said out of breath, the multi-day trip catching up with him.

"Smart man," Hanna said as she led him to his old room.

"Do you want to see Princess Elsa before the coronation starts?" Birger asked before Hiccup moved into the room.

Taking a moment to think, Hiccup replied "No, I wouldn't want to interrupt her process of getting into the right mindset before becoming the leader of an entire kingdom. I do not want to throw her off balance this early."

Birger looked at Hiccup for a moment trying to process by what he meant by that last statement, but let it go in favor of checking on his men.

"As you wish Hiccup. See you in a bit." Birger replied before setting off towards the gardens.

Hanna tapped Hiccup on his shoulder, snapping him out of his gaze. "Come on, we only have ninety minutes."

Hiccup nodded and dropped his gear on his old bed, while Hanna drew hot water into the tub.

Shirking off his armor pieces, laying them out carefully on a nearby table he then proceeded to discard his cloth pants and shirt, folding them, and putting them near the armor. Walking into the bathroom and sitting down on the stool near the tub, to which he proceeded to take off his prosthetic. Clothed now in only a loin cloth, he stood on his only foot and leaned heavily to his right to counteract the loss of weight on his left.

Hanna held out her hand to which Hiccup grasped and was guided to sit in the tub.

"Well, you're no longer shy nor skin and bones," Hanna said with a small smile, a blush of pink dusted her face.

"Glad to see it is not just Elsa looking at my physique and blushing." Hiccup replied with a smirk and glance of his eyes.

Hanna, in turn, blushed heavily at being caught. "Right, let us proceed." She gripped a bucket full of water and proceeded to slowly dump the warm water on Hiccup's head.

Within a half hour, he was cleaned and dried.

"I will take my leave and check on the status of your friends, I suggest you get dressed and get down to the chapel. Your seat is almost at the front on the left."

Hiccup nodded and moved to turn around before he swiveled back. "Thank you, Hanna, and I must say, you look wonderful."

"You too Hiccup, now hurry." She replied then closed the door and walked down the hall. Her heart was beating a mile a second. "Mercy of God, why did he have to look so damn good? Why couldn't he have been ugly? Just standing there with a towel around his waist. Uhh, if he was single I would have… wow, settle down Hanna." She whispered and took a calming breath.

Making a left turn at the junction and moving toward another bedroom where Ruffnut and Astrid should have been put. Knocking on the door she heard a faint 'enter' from Alexandra.

Pressing the handle down and pushing the door open revealed her fellow maid brushing Astrid's hair, she noticed several braids around Alexandra's wrist in preparation to begin a hair style.

Hanna took a moment to look at Astrid's new clothing, as Hiccup instructed there were no spikes or skulls, just a leather skirt, fur on top of the metal shoulder pads and her traditional leggings and a red cloth shirt, but this time with long sleeves. Much less intimidating than from what she wore less than an hour ago, she just hoped Astrid would keep the ax here instead of strapping to her back again.

"How are you doing Astrid?"

Astrid cast her eyes to the right and took in Hanna, "I am well. Alexandra gave me a bath, helped me into my outfit and is now about to braid my hair. It feels wonderful to be pampered once in my life." She said with an honest smile.

"Glad to make you feel better, where is Ruffnut?" Hanna asked as she cast her gaze around the room.

"She is still in the bathroom. I was hoping you could braid her hair, she has way more than Astrid does and we only have an hour."

"All right," Hanna responded as she moved to open the door and was about to grab a comb from the sink when she saw what Ruffnut was doing.

"Ruffnut, what the hell are you doing!" She shouted as she could hear a faint 'huh' coming from the other room from Astrid.

"What?" Ruffnut replied innocently from the floor where she had kneeled.

"Why are you drinking water out of the bidet? That is where you clean _yourself._ If you wanted water, you should have asked Alexandra to get you a bottle." Hanna said flabbergasted, bringing up her hand to massage her temple.

Ruffnut got up from her knees and looked down embarrassed, "I'm sorry I didn't know."

"It's all right, let's get you ready." Hanna said as she took Ruffnut be her shoulders and guided her into the bedroom.

After nearly forty-five minutes of running around and getting everyone ready Hanna, Alexandra, Ruffnut, and Astrid met Theresa and Fishlegs down in the courtyard.

Hanna called over Theresa and Alexandra to have a little chat.

"So how was Fishlegs? Did he behave his curious nature?" Hiccup had once relayed to her what his friends were like the last time she gave him a bath. And true to form, he had described them accurately.

"Well, not really. I caught him playing with the toilet, by continuously pulling the plunger which released the water down into the toilet." She said with a chuckle but then continued. "He was very respectful and even kept on his underclothes. He filled the tub to the brim with his body and he might have cracked the tub from his weight alone. We will need to send an engineer to the bathroom to check the tub."

"That sounds like Fishlegs. Astrid and Ruffnut were very nice, albeit a little naïve to their new surroundings they are completely loyal to Hiccup. I couldn't get anything out of Ruffnut when I asked her about Hiccups day to day life. And what surprised me the most was…" was about to say but was interrupted by Astrid.

"We can't find Hiccup." She said short of breath, coming to a stop in front of Alexandra.

"What do you mean, you can't find him? He should be in the chapel, there are only ten minutes to go before Princess Elsa arrives at the chapel." She said as the others looked around throughout the empty courtyard.

"Well, we didn't sleep a lot when we were on our dra…ship. We all know Hiccup is very stressed by what this trip means to him and Princess Elsa. Do you think he fell asleep?" Fishlegs pointed as if it was obvious. The realization of that idea made all their eyes go wide and looked back at the castle.

"Dammit Hiccup," Hanna whispered. "I will take care of it, you three enjoy yourselves in the capital." Hanna said as she walked quickly to the front of the doors. She was about to open the doors, but they were thrown open by Anna who was running at top speed to the gates which were just now being opened by the Guards. She watched as dozens of townsfolk, foreign diplomats, dukes, lords, and military officers filtered their way into the courtyard.

Snapping out of her gaze at the gates being open and having an unbroken view of the capital on the other side, something she had not seen since her youth. Hanna turned back towards the door and went in search of Hiccup, whom she hoped was not in fact sleeping.

Running toward the bedrooms she caught a glimpse of Princess Elsa walking down the main staircase toward an exit which would take her to the chapel minus the chance to be looked at by curious onlookers.

Forgoing the usual knock, she opened the door to reveal Hiccup on his back in half of a Viking uniform sleeping just like Fishlegs had said. Releasing a snort out of her nose and a twitch of her eye, she moved over to the bed and jostled Hiccup awake.

"Hiccup wake up!"

Hiccup bolted awake and whipped out from somewhere she did not know a dagger. "Wow Hiccup calm down, it's me, Hanna!" She yelled as she back peddled toward the bathroom, hands instantly raising in surrender.

Hiccup's head whipped around the room for what she believed was confirmation of his surroundings and to make sure there were no enemies.

"What is wrong Hanna?" He said groggily.

Hanna moved back toward the bed and gripped his shoulders, "Hiccup the coronation is about to begin. The gates have opened and people are already being seated in the chapel! We need to get you dressed and into your seat!" Shaking him intently.

Hiccup's eyes went wide at the realization that he had gotten here was about to break his promise to Elsa because of his own stupidity.

"Right, help me with my armor."

* * *

Elsa felt her emotions fluctuate with each person who bowed their head toward her. Birger was to her right, Gerda to her left and her handmaidens in tow behind her. She was looking toward the chapel counting down the seconds until she had to walk down the aisle and assume her responsibilities. Elsa flexed her hands in order to do something with them, silently hoping that it would take the edge off her. She felt her teeth chatter, her heart race and mind taking in all her surroundings down to the various pebbles that lined the back of the garden.

She felt Gerda come up beside and move to whisper in her ear.

"Just think your Highness, you will be taking these same steps in a few years to marry Hiccup in this very chapel."

Elsa looked to her side and gave a soft smile at Gerda in recognition of her statement.

" _I just have to make it to that day_."

Birger walked down a stone path that was lined with his men to protect his future queen from any spectators that were near the chapel.

"It is the time your Highness."

Elsa nodded, took a deep breath, released it, and began walking down the path. Upon coming to the entrance of the chapel she was greeted by Finn Hagebak, the Bishop of Arendelle. He crossed himself and did the same for Elsa. "The Lord bless your going out and your coming in now and forevermore."

She bowed her head at the statement and walked behind the bishop to the high altar.

Elsa saw everyone stand and bow their heads in recognizing the future Queen of Arendelle. She saw tenors stand in their balcony on the second floor. While moving slowly down the aisle she had seen Anna standing off to the side on the right and had anticipated seeing Hiccup as well, but for the life of her, she could not see him anywhere. " _Did he make it in time? Where is he_?"

She was guided to her seat to the right of the altar where she sat down and nodded toward Bishop Finn to continue. He bowed in return, recovered, and looked upon everyone as they continued to stand.

He signaled toward an altar boy who brought out the Holy Bible, the Bishop kissed the cover and opened to a marked page whilst the altar boy continued to hold the holy book up.

Raising his hands, palms up he began to read the _Nicene Creed_ :

" _I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible._

 _And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made;_

 _Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate._

 _He suffered and was buried, And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,_

 _And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father._

 _And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead:_

 _Whose kingdom shall have no end._

 _And I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Lord and giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,_

 _Who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe one Christian and Apostolic Church._

 _I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen_."

"Amen." The audience replied in unison. They seated themselves in near silence, except for the creaking of weight on the benches.

With the end of the creed came a short hymn from the choir,

" _We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting._

 _To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein. To thee Cherubim and Seraphim: continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Hosts;_

 _Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty: of thy glory."_

The altar boy closed the Bible and placed it on the Holy Table, who then bowed and stood off to the side. Bishop Finn brought out a small bowl of holy oil. At this Elsa rose from her seat and walked toward the steps but stopped in front of them, then turned around and knelt in front the altar.

"Are you willing to take the oath?"

"I am." Elsa responded raising her head to look at the Bishop.

"Will you maintain and protect the kingdom?"

"I will."

Bishop Finn anointed her with holy oil on her right forearm and then her forehead in the shape of a cross.

"As your father, before you were anointed a king, you too have been anointed, blessed and consecrated queen over the people of this kingdom. To rule and govern in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen."

"Amen." Elsa whispered.

Softly telling her to rise, he brought out the royal tiara. Her heart quickened at the sight of the crown.

* * *

"Hiccup come on it has already begun, I can hear the Bishop announcing the _Nicene Creed_."

Running and nearly tripping over a large stone in the garden the two made it to the Chapel in near record time.

Birger was positioned at the front near the doors.

"About time you showed up Hiccup, they already started. Come on, I need to sneak you in through the side entrance." He said as he guided Hiccup to the secret doorway hidden into the side of the church. Moving into the back of the church through a small hallway which was usually used by the choir to move without being seen. They came out near one of the pillars at the very back left of the room.

"Where is my seat?" Hiccup whispered.

Birger looked for a second then whispered back to Hiccup. "It seems like the Duke of Weselton is in it. Well, you wouldn't be able to sit there anyway because you would draw too much attention to yourself just trying to get there. Just stand here and don't move. I will see you when the mass ends."

Hiccup tipped his head as Birger took the same way out as they took to get in. He watched as Elsa kneeled and then proceeded to be anointed by the Bishop.

After a short prayer and blessing from the Bishop, Elsa rose and watched as the Bishop took the tiara and prepared to place it on her head. She bowed forward and felt him place the tiara on her head. Elsa recovered from her bow and watched Bishop Finn swivel around grabbed a green pillow with both hands which held the orb and scepter.

Releasing a soft breath, she proceeded to grab the orb and scepter but was interrupted by the Bishop. "Your Majesty, the gloves." He whispered softly.

Realization dawned on her that she would not be able to sneak by with her gloves on, but would have to do it bare handed.

Slowly she took off her gloves one by one and laid them in-between the two showpieces of power. She saw her hands tremble as she grasped the orb and scepter then proceeded to turn around and face the representatives of foreign kingdoms and her own people alike. She drew a strong breath and held it as she heard Bishop Finn say the official hymn to make her queen.

" _Hun holder hellig egenskaper og er kronet i dette hellige stedet,…"_

The audience stood and smiled at the young monarch.

Elsa, on the other hand, was not smiling, she was trembling with fear. She felt cold in her hands and glanced down to see ice slowly creeping up from the bottom of the orb and the middle of the scepter where her hands were gripping them. Taking a deeper breath she looked up and glanced at the back of the church, she caught the sight of a mess of brown hair. Glancing down slightly she locked eyes with Hiccup. He smiled at her and mouthed the words, " _I love you_."

Warmth coursed through her body as her confidence increased tenfold. The coldness in her hands disappeared and she could hear the final words to the hymn. "Presentere jeg deg Queen Elsa Andersen of Arendelle."

Elsa slowly turned around and gently placed the orb and scepter on the green pillow. She confidently put her gloves on, smiled and turned back toward the audience as they, in turn, responded with " _Queen Elsa Andersen of Arendelle_ " as an acknowledgment of watching the young princess become queen.

Taking a step forward Bishop Finn recited a short hymn meant to close out the coronation ceremony.

" _God bless our dear Fatherland and let it like a garden bloom. Let the light of thy peace gleam from mountain to beach and the intelligent fire the pending summer sun. Let people live together as brothers and sisters, as Lutherans who could be themselves._

 _Our homeland long laid in darkness and obliviousness hid the light. But God, thou in mercy to us sang, thy love for us was not overlooked. Thou sent thy word to Arendelle's mountains and light flowed over the land."_

He gave a quick nod to the choir up top, who began to sing the Royal Anthem.

" _God bless our good queen. Bless her with strength and courage, bless home and castle. Enlighten her with thy Spirit, Tie with thy strong hand the holy bond of fidelity between people and sovereign._

 _Loudly swears the man of Arendelle, each in his calling, his station, faithfulness to his sovereign. Faithful in life and death, brave in war and need, Arendelle's lot was always, God and his sovereign."_ The choir and the congregation voiced in unison, the foreign diplomats reading off the provided cards which had been laid upon their seats.

Once the anthem was over, Bishop Finn moved forward and proclaimed;

"Long Live the Queen!"

"Long Live the Queen!" Bishop Finn and the choir voiced.

"Long Live the Queen!" Everyone except Elsa declared.

They clapped and Elsa smiled. " _Perhaps this won't be so bad after all."_ Elsa thought as she maintained eye contact with Hiccup, only occasionally looking around so as not to be rude.

* * *

She slowly made her way down the three steps and walked passed everyone, including her fiancée who continued to clap. Stepping out of the chapel and into the warm breath of day, she took in a massive breath of air and exhaled in gratefulness. Elsa was then guided to the front entrance by her Guards, where she proceeded to a private room at her request to steady her nerves and eat or drink something if she felt the need to.

"Gerda, do you mind giving me a private moment?" Elsa asked her lady-in-waiting.

"Of course, your majesty, I will be outside if you need me." She bowed and left the young queen to her own devices.

Hiccup, on the other hand, had quickly left the chapel and went to check in on his friends, he wanted to give Elsa a moment in peace to collect herself. He had seen the ice slowly decorate the bottom of the scepter and from what he saw only he and Elsa saw the same thing, everyone else has concentrated on her specifically to which he was thankful for.

"Hey, Chief!" He heard Fishlegs yell out over the conversations of everyone else in the courtyard.

Turning towards Fishlegs yell, he moved between the crowds and groups of families who came to see if they could get a glimpse of their new queen.

Arriving to see Fishlegs eating a whole lambs leg, something he had somewhat expected. What he did not expect to see was Astrid and Ruffnut making idle conversation with Hannah and Karin, about hair from what he could make out.

Breaking off her conversation with Karin and Hanna, Astrid moved towards Hiccup.

"How was the coronation?" She asked as the other four moved to stand by her as well.

"It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, Elsa looked amazing in her dress and everything went smoothly. I will see her in a moment but wanted to check in with you all. How did you spend your hours in the capitol?"

"Well we went out of the courtyard, crossed the bridge and got something to eat, Fishlegs is still eating his share. Three hours and he is still eating that lamb leg." Astrid said pointing a thumb to Fishlegs.

"What? I like to look at things, and having never been here, there are a lot of things to look at." Fishlegs said in mild offense.

"Fine. I and Ruffnut got the national dish, they call it mutton stew. The sheep in it were very delicious and I managed to get the recipe."

"Though their ale does need some work. I am on my fourth mug, and yet to feel any bad effects. It's like water with a hint of alcohol." Ruffnut said then downed the last bit of her mug full of ale. Smacking her lips together in satisfaction and let out a breath of air.

Hiccup saw the last bit of sunset beneath the waves of the ocean. Day turned to night and the guards lit the lamps and torches positioned throughout the courtyard. Looking around he saw children play games and the adults make conversation with smiles on their faces. It seemed everyone was truly happy that Elsa had become queen. He just needed to make sure Elsa did not stay in the castle permanently, what good is a queen if she does not see her kingdom or her people?

He also needed to make sure everything went smoothly with Anna, there was no way of getting around that issue. They are going to meet and they are going to talk, he just hoped it would not end like the last time, from what Elsa had told him that night changed everything.

"We better get you three inside, the party for Queen Elsa will start soon and the royal representatives are probably being announced right now. Luckily for us, they announce kingdoms in order of how long they have had a relationship with Arendelle. Berk having a relatively young relationship with our kingdom will most likely be last." Hanna said as she gave Hiccup a nudge towards the door.

"That is a weird way of doing things." Fishlegs voiced as he followed behind Ruffnut, tossing the remains of his meal into a nearby waste can.

Hanna raised and lowered her shoulders at his statement, "I know, but I guess we wanted to reward stable relationships with other kingdoms. As to why everyone wants to have good trade relations with us, we tie with the Kingdom of Weselton in terms of trade output."

"You sure know a lot about Arendelle's trade system, Hanna." Astrid quipped.

Hanna smiled over her shoulder at Astrid, "well my father works for the trade offices, so there is always something to talk about at the dinner table on holidays."

"Halt." A Royal Guardsman voiced as the six approached the entrance to the great hall.

"Do you have your invitations?" A Sergeant Major asked Hiccup as he came out from behind the one guard. "Hannah and Karin, you can head inside."

Hiccup retrieved his invitation from under arm straps and gave it to the Sergeant. Said guard took it and eyed Hiccup and his friends. He then brought out a long list of names and scrolled through them.

Hiccup looked at the young Sergeant Major. The twenty-something man had reddish brown hair, with an angular face and a tall build. His hair was cut to the military guidelines and he looked like a model soldier. Funny he never saw him before, perhaps he was a transfer from another unit just for tonight.

"Here you go Chief Hiccup." The Sergeant Major said as he handed Hiccup back his invitation. "And you three?" He said pointing towards Ruffnut, Astrid, and Fishlegs.

"They are with me." Hiccup said moving to stand with his friends.

The Sergeant Major gave Hiccup a pointed look. "This invitation entitles you to only one guest Sir. Choose one."

Hiccup raised his eyebrows at this. "Nowhere on the card does it say that. I have been coming to this castle for years and know everyone but you it seems. Isn't that right Karl?" Hiccup asked looking at the Guard who told them to halt.

"That is right, Mr. Hiccup is good friends with the Queen and Captain Birger." Karl voiced then snapped to attention keeping an eye on the entrance.

"Personally, I don't care if you are friends with the Captain and our Queen. I am telling _you_ to pick one guest or move on and stop wasting my time." The Sergeant said, his voice becoming rougher.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiccup could see the subtle movements of Astrid and Ruffnut slowly inching their hands towards their hidden daggers.

"And if I ask for Captain Birger?" Hiccup asked in an innocent sounding voice.

Hiccup could see the Sergeant grind his teeth together become talking. "The Captain is too busy at the moment and you are not going to go inside to look for him, now choose or leave and if you don't I will remove you peacefully or physically if need be." He said then put his gloved hand on the handle of his sword.

Seeing this Ruffnut, Astrid and Fishlegs put their hands on the respective daggers ready to protect their Chief.

Karin looked around for Hanna, the young woman had seemingly disappeared. Though she now looked at the standoff between Chief Hiccup with his Vikings and the young Sergeant Major who refused to back down. The two men refused to take their eyes off one another and only vital breaths were taken.

"What is going on here Sergeant Major?" Voiced an irritated Captain Birger with Hanna in tow.

"Chief Hiccup is allowed only one guest but he wants to bring three along, I told him that but he won't back down." The young man said taking his eyes off the Viking to look at his Captain.

"I understand your frustration Sergeant Major, but this man has been coming to our castle for over eighteen years, he is my friend and he _is_ courting our queen." The Sergeant Major's eyes widened a little at that remark.

"Hiccup will most likely marry Queen Elsa and perhaps even become our king if Queen Elsa has her way. And if he wants to bring in three guests then that is fine by me. The Duke of Weselton brought in two bodyguards and you didn't say anything about that. Now let them inside." Birger said moving till he was toe to toe with the Sergeant Major.

The Sergeant Major bowed his head toward Hiccup and saluted Captain Birger. "Yes Sir, please head inside Chief Hiccup and I apologize for your wait."

Hiccup and his group moved inside away from the Sergeant Major who went back to checking invitations for other guests.

"Who was that Captain Birger?" Hiccup voiced once they were far enough away.

"That was Sergeant Major Adolf Hansen, an ambitious young man who wants my job. He has been stationed in the frontier but has quickly risen through the ranks to become the youngest Sergeant Major in our history. He has a small group of men including non-commissioned officers who want Arendelle to expand its territories for the sole reason to try and bring about war, I guess they want glory, honor and all that."

"I experienced a brief bit of war, and it was not glorious." Hiccup voiced thinking back to the battle that killed his father.

"I understand, but these young men crave for the idea of glory without thinking about what it truly brings. Which are death and pain. But enough of that, your fiancée is on the other side of this door and I will take your subordinates to the entrance of the ballroom where they will wait for you." Birger said giving a smile.

Hiccup nodded his head and looked at the door, he could briefly smell the scent of lavender.

Birger moved away for a moment before turning back. "You're not going to stare at the door all night, are you?"

"No, but who told you what was going on at the entrance?" Hiccup asked looking away from the door for a moment.

"It was Hanna, that young woman has your back. Now hurry up, they are going through the list of kingdoms, and will most likely arrive at Berk in about fifteen minutes."

Hiccup smiled at Birger and waved him off, looking back to the door he knocked and heard a faint " _Don't come in."_ Ignoring it he opened the door, moved inside, and closed it behind him.

He saw Elsa taking a drink of water from a golden chalice. He could only see the back of her head and magenta cape, but she still looked beautiful.

"I said not to come in. Now please leave until I am ready." Elsa said not caring to look behind her.

"You look beautiful." Hiccup said knowing she would turn around for him.

She slowly put down the chalice and looked over her shoulder to see a smiling handsome Hiccup.

"Hiccup." She whispered.

Turning around fully, she gave him one of her most truest of smiles, one that stretched from ear to ear. One that he returned in kind. She swiftly walked into his arms and hugged him, taking in his forest smell, one that made her forget her surroundings and relax.

"I missed you so much Elsa, I counted the days till I would see you again." Hiccup said as he brought up his hand and tilted her chin up to make her look into his eyes. Looking into his forest green eyes, she became mesmerized by his face and features. Taking advantage of her state of awe, Hiccup brought his lips to her own.

Snapping out of her trance, she returned the kiss in kind, running her gloved hands through Hiccups hair. Feeling emboldened Elsa pressed her body against his, filling in every crevice with cloth and body.

Hiccup felt his body temperature spike and blood flow faster through his veins and extremities. Wrapping one arm around the small of her back and the other around the back of her shoulders, he moved his lips to her neck where he carefully peeled back the dress to reveal her skin.

He nipped the skin, which caused Elsa to feel light headed and nearly collapsed in his arms. Hiccup swiftly picked her up and sat her down on a nearby table, moving in-between her knees he continued to kiss her with ease. Pushing him back a little, Elsa was able to catch her breath and account for her surroundings. Laying her head on his chest and looking to her left, she rested for a moment, listening to the rhythm of his heart beats. Hiccup did the same, but laid his head on hers and looked at the opposite wall.

She felt Hiccup tense up for a moment.

"Elsa why is there a wooden bust of a man's head on the top of a cake?" Elsa heard Hiccup say as he continued to hold her but loosened his grip to allow her to look. Turning her body and head, she saw that Hiccup was telling the truth. There was a wooden head sagging into the top of a blue cake, looking right at them. Observing the room, she noticed a pillar was bare.

"How much do you want to bet Anna was in here?" Hiccup asked then chuckled.

A bubble of laughter came out of Elsa's mouth at the thought of her sister being happy, though it quickly went away as she knew she would have to talk to Anna tonight.

"Are you ready for tonight?"

"Yes and no, I have been practicing for this night for years, but still feel unprepared."

Hiccup chuckled and smiled down at Elsa. "That is normal, how do you think I felt? My village was in ruins, my father had died saving me and I had nearly lost everything, by contrast, your coronation is going very smoothly."

Thinking back to that day of battle she remembered Hiccups letter and how he was caught in an ambush, looking down and running her hands over his stomach till she caused him to flinch and back away.

"By Thor's beard." He said with a grimace.

Jumping off the table and moving over to him, she tried to touch him but he moved away again.

"No Elsa, don't."

"Let me see it. Now." She demanded wanting to make sure he was all right.

Looking back at her, he tried to stare her down. Not wanting her to worry about his injury, he tried to outlast her.

Elsa stared right back at him, she crossed her hands in front of her and rested them on her stomach. Controlling her body and breath, she was the image of a regal queen.

"You won't win Hiccup, I have been practicing controlling my powers for over a decade which has allowed me to be able to stare and look at people without giving myself away."

Reminded of the life that she has had to endure, Hiccup looked away saddened at the thought of Elsa having missed so much out of life. "Fine."

Lifting his armor and shirt, he revealed the wound. There was a black and blue bruise around the cut, which still had stitches in. The skin was puffed up and looked painful."

"Hiccup it has been well over a month, why are the stitches still in?"

"I tore the wound open when I accidentally rounded on a tree branch too quickly. It doesn't hurt that much and I have needle and thread in case something happens." He said then tucked his clothing back into his pants.

"Are you all right?" She asked moving to him, "I can get Doctor Aaron to look at it." Placing her hand on his face and using her thumb caress his cheek.

"No, tonight is all about you. Maybe tomorrow I will see him. Though I must say I can't wait to marry you. To have you in my arms when we wake up will be the greatest feeling in the whole world." Hiccup said as he brought his hands around and hugged her gently to him. "Though of course, we will have less clothing on, which will make it even more enjoyable." A smirk appeared on his face and Elsa sucked in a breath at the realization of his remarks.

She lightly swatted his chest at his playfulness.

" _I shouldn't talk, I too have thought about those types of nights and mornings. And I too can't wait, anatomy books can only show so much. I always wondered how big…"_

"Elsa, Elsa?" She heard him ask.

"Hmm, what is it?"

"You were looking at me funny again like you did when we were children, the one where you just smiled at me."

Pink came to her cheeks at the recognition of her previous thoughts.

"I was just thinking about what my wedding and you would look like. That's all." She replied with a smile.

Hiccup returned the smile with a heart-pounding kiss.

After nearly a moment he pulled away. Elsa had to take in a deep breath to regain enough oxygen to think straight. "Well, that was certainly a kiss to make a person forget their name…" Elsa thought for a moment and then jumped back, which caused Hiccup to become confused at her sudden display of energy.

"The names; Hiccup you need to go before they call your name. You don't want to embarrass Berk when they call for you and you don't show up." Hiccup eyes widened and he nodded his head.

"Right, I will see you in a few minutes, remember you promised me a dance." He said then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Turning around and walking toward the door he stopped when he placed his hand on the door handle.

"That reminds me, we will need to come up with a few name choices for our children. Good luck and I will see you in a bit." He said not looking back, opening the door, and closing it he disappeared into the hallway.

Had he turned around he would have seen the Elsa rooted to the floor, with a blank expression on her face. Ice was spreading out from her feet and the temperature in the room had dropped slightly. "Children." Elsa said with an emotionless voice.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed chapter fourteen. Chapter fifteen will be released when it is ready. I will try to have it out before the six month mark. Try to drop a review if you have the time or favorite/follow my story. Once again thank you for reading and have a wonderful day.


	15. God Save The Queen

Hello to all my wonderful readers and supporters. I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope all your resolutions and commitments come true. Now, I am sorry I took so long. I really didn't start to get back into my writing groove until November, because my summer consisted of non-stop work. Then came the holidays and long story short, the chapter is done and I have one more chapter to go before I get to type into the great unknown, where it is whatever ending I want it to be.

I really don't see this story completing for another six chapters at least or about three years. I hope you are all in this for the long haul. When I said I was going to cover their entire lives, I meant it. We still have to cover the wedding, children, wars, growing old and of course dragons, so yeah.

And now, the next chapter to _An Arranged Life_ , enjoy.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's: _Frozen_ or DreamWorks: _How to Train Your Dragon_.**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 ** _God Save The Queen_**

Opening and closing the door behind him, Hiccup entered the hallway and went two steps before he stopped in his tracks.

Gerda was looking right at him with a small smile on her lips.

Pulling out a white handkerchief, she presented it to him.

"What is this for?"

Her smile grew even bigger, "you have magenta lipstick on your lips, Chief Hiccup."

Hiccups eyes widened, and color rose to his face at being caught by someone. He licked his lips and sure enough, the taste of lipstick was found. Silently taking the handkerchief from Gerda, he proceeded to wipe away the feminine paint from his lips. He presented the cloth to Gerda, but she waved him off. "You can have it, I'm sure you need one anyway."

"Thank you, for your kindness and for being discreet. And you might need to reapply some lipstick to Elsa before she goes out." Hiccup said as he looked back at the door.

"You are most welcome Chief Hiccup, and you best be going, your kingdom is about to be announced."

He gave a nod of thanks and proceeded to walk down the hallway towards the ballroom entrance. Turning a few corners, he spotted Astrid, Ruffnut, and Fishlegs anxiously waiting near the double doors.

Spotting him, Astrid moved to talk to him. "About time you showed up, there is only one more kingdom in front of us. The announcer will be coming to ask what our titles are."

Hiccup gave Astrid a look. "How do you know about that?"

Astrid's eye twitched. "Because I have been standing here for the last fifteen minutes listening to the announcer ask what are the names and titles of everyone ahead of us."

"Oh." Hiccup said feeling slightly stupid for asking.

"Do you know what our titles are?" Asked Ruffnut as she moved toward Hiccup.

Hiccup nodded and brought out a small card with various writings marked on it.

Within a few seconds of smoothing out the wrinkles on the note and making sure everything was in order, Kai walked over to Hiccup.

"Are you ready Chief Hiccup?" Kai asked.

"I am, here are the titles of myself and my friends." He then handed the small card off to the older more robust servant.

Kai took the small card, read through it, and nodded his heads towards Hiccup.

Moving back to the double doors, he pointed to a small piece of cloth on the floor. Hiccup, Ruffnut, Astrid and Fishlegs lined up behind the cloth. Two guards were positioned on either side of the door, ready to open them at a moment's notice. Kai marched up to within a meter of the door and gave a nod to the two men. Taking a step forward, turning to their respective positions to open the door, they gripped the handles and swung the door towards them, filling the hallway with a goldish glow.

Kai moved forward and prepared to announce Hiccup.

Hiccup's heart was pounding in his chest, he could feel the seconds stretch on for what it seemed like hours; this was it. All the planning, memorization of names, faces, details of different countries came down to this. The future of Berk laid in his hands, it was all up to him and his friends, he could only afford success. Without it, his dream of a more open Berk would be dashed, and he would be forced to remain secluded from the world. Reaching into his pocket for the hanker chief, he brought it out and dabbed at his forehead. The cloth soaking up the droplets of sweat that had formed on his head and had dripped into his brow.

"Hiccup." Kai whispered pointing to the spot next to him.

He blotted the last bit of sweat on his head and shoved the cloth back into his pocket. Rolling his shoulders and propping himself into a more professional pose he moved to Kai's side.

Taking two steps forward Kai moved into the ballroom.

"Announcing: Chief Hiccup Haddock, the Third of Berk, head of the Hooligan Tribe!" Kai voiced aloud to the occupants of the ballroom, who turned their heads toward the open door.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Hiccup moved into the ballroom, that had previously been devoid of life for years but was now filled with some of the most powerful people in the region. He moved forward until he was in the center of the room, he gently nodded his head towards various heads of states and gave quiet hellos to ones who tipped their heads back in respect. Many eyed him differently, taking in his armor, hairstyle or lack thereof and he caught many drop their eyes and some their entire heads to look at his feet or foot.

He followed the eyes of one such diplomat, possibly Frankrike by the look of his coat and facial hair. The Franskmannen eyes followed the course of his body to look at his prosthetic than back up to look at the Chief in general. Hiccup looked back right at him, he gave the man a gentle nod and a small smile. The ambassador returned the gesture and raised his glass in acknowledgment of his status and position. Perhaps he would take up a conversation with that diplomat later, he was always amazed at their artistic renaissance that had occurred a few centuries ago.

"Announcing: Sir Fishlegs Ingerman, Personal Secretary of Chief Hiccup. Lady Astrid Hofferson, Shield Maiden of Berk. And Lady Ruffnut Thorston, Guardian of Chief Hiccup." Kai proclaimed, waiting a few seconds between each declaration for the announced to make their way into the ballroom.

"Mercy, if I thought I had a lot of attention on me when I came in, that was nothing compared the looks my friends are getting." He whispered to himself.

"My Lord?" A servant asked as she presented a tray of goblets filled with wine to the young monarch.

Hiccup looked down at the silver tray and gently grabbed one. "Thank you. Wait here, my friends will surely want a glass too."

"Of course, my Lord." The young servant was the same age as most of the other servants, younger than Gerda, but older than Karin.

Astrid, Ruffnut, and Fishlegs slowly shuffled over to Hiccup as if they were walking on thin ice.

"Sir and Lady?" Ruffnut quipped to Hiccup as she brought up the last bit of the circle that had formed with Hiccup, who was handing out glasses of wine to Astrid and Fishlegs and then presented one to her.

She grasped it and gave a small thank you to Hiccup in return.

He turned towards the servant girl who was patiently waiting to see if the young lord needed anything else, "thank you for the drinks."

"You are most welcome my Lord." She said moving to the back of the ballroom then disappeared through one of the doors into the kitchen.

"Yes, you all needed titles and I knew you would not like the titles I gave you, so I did not tell you about them. This way we look more refined and professional in front of the representatives, dukes, lords, princesses, and princes of the invited kingdoms."

Taking a long gulp of the wine and swallowing, Ruffnut shuffled back and forth.

"What is it, Ruff?"

"Why look refined? Why should we change who we are for people we don't know?"

Hiccup let out a long breath, "We need to look like them, if only temporarily. For when the time comes to strike up trade deals and alliances, they will be more open and relaxed to the idea."

"You always like thinking five moves ahead, don't you?"

Hiccup smiled in return at Astrid. "Yes, as to why I always win board games."

"Announcing…" Kai voiced aloud.

"Mercy, how many kingdoms were invited to this coronation?" Astrid asked the group in general.

Hiccup thought for a moment, "about four dozen and I had to memorize all their faces, names, and details of their respective countries. Thank goodness Elsa sent me a booklet of those attending, the information I gained will allow me to talk with them more easily and in their own language." Thinking back to all the subjects and languages he studied over the years, the time was now to see if it would pay off.

" _Well here goes everything_." He thought, as he handed Fishlegs his glass, straightened his uniform and moved towards the Fransk ambassador. Counting down the steps to a possible friendship with Frankrike he started to rehearse how to say hello in Fransk in his head repeatedly.

* * *

"Children." Elsa thought with glee and nervousness. Would she make a suitable mother? The idea of children was always a distant thought in the back of her mind, keeping her powers contained and maintaining a good relationship with Hiccup were always her main priorities. But as she thought about it increasingly, the dream of having one, two or even three children seemed amazing. Waking up next to Hiccup in the mornings, and then hearing the pitter-patter of feet making their way onto their bed, seemed perfect.

"I wonder what our children would look like?" She asked herself.

Possible faces popped into her head, a girl with brown hair or even platinum seemed wonderful. "What about names?" She would have to check with Hiccup, but dozens of names popped into her head, he would most likely want to name his son, but she could see them being very happy with whatever they came up with.

There would in no way be another Hiccup, not a chance for Hiccup the IV. She would not want to insult her son to that name or the bullying that Hiccup endured when he was a child. No, she would choose something better, more fitting of a prince. Perhaps Prince Magnus or maybe…" Elsa whispered to herself with a small smile.

"My Queen? Queen Elsa?" Gerda voiced through the door.

Snapping out of her dreams and looking towards the door, she instructed Gerda inside.

Taking a moment to bow to her young queen, Gerda moved forward to address Elsa. "Your Majesty, it is time to meet the diplomats in the ballroom. Everyone has been announced and are waiting for your entrance."

"Right. Then let us begin." Elsa voiced before closing her eyes and making a small prayer to God that everything would be all right. Reopening her eyes, she moved forward into the hallway to where Kai directed her to a side entrance. This would allow her to move directly to where her throne laid.

"I will go in first and announce you and then the princess. Are you ready?" Kai asked before he opened the side door entrance.

Taking deep breaths in and out she steadied her nerves and looked behind her at Gerda who gave a reassuring smile and Captain Birger who nodded his head. "My men will be stationed around the ballroom in case you need anything, your majesty." He said then bowed, the rest of his men doing the same.

"Thank you all for your service. I am ready." She said looking back towards Kai.

"Then let us begin." Kai voiced, before moving into the ballroom drawing attention to himself as he made his way over to the throne area. Positioning himself two steps to the right of the throne, he looked out and presented his queen to the guests and foreign representatives.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle." He announced.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle." He announced but saw that she had taken the wrong entrance which resulted in her stopping at the wrong location on the floor.

Moving over to Anna, he presented the correct spot for her.

"Over here?" She whispered.

Becoming tired, he moved forward gripped Anna shoulders gently and kindly moved the young princess to the correct spot.

"Oh umm." Anna voiced unprepared to be moved deliberately into position.

She took a step to the left away from Elsa and then smiled to the crowd who clapped at the young queen and princess. The dancing and chatter started up as soft instrumental music warmed the room.

Elsa glanced to her right and looked at her younger sister. " _This is it Elsa, time to make up for all those lost years. Do not mess this up. Just make small talk, just enough to get through the night."_ She thought as she prepared herself for the next step.

"Hi."

Anna who was still looking and smiling nervously to the room full of guests was shocked to hear Elsa address her after no conversations for the last ten plus years.

"Hi me?" She replied shocked.

Elsa just nodded her head and smiled.

"Oh, umm, hi."

" _This is good Elsa just keep it up_." She thought then turned slightly to address Anna again. "You look beautiful."

Anna too turned to address her sister properly, she was just a hair smaller than her older sister.

"Thank you, you look beautifuller. I mean not fuller, but more beautiful."

"Thank you." Elsa replied giving a small chuckle.

Elsa spotted Hiccup speaking easily with the Frankrike ambassador who was a thin man, with long black hair and a pointed face. Hopefully, he would be open to trade with Berk. Hiccup would be so happy to receive trade deals. He did want a more open Berk, and being recognized by the world could help achieve his dream.

"Anna?"

"Yes, what is it Elsa?" Anna was slowly getting used to speaking with her sister again. It felt right.

"Do you know why there was a wooden bust of a man's head on top of the cake in my reception room?" Elsa asked wanting to see the look on her sister's face, knowing she had done it.

Anna's eyes widened for a moment before a blush covered her face. Caught.

"There was also some chocolate missing from my tray as well, did it taste good?"

The blush got even redder.

"Yes, it was." Anna squeaked out.

"Perhaps we can finish it later, would you like that?" Elsa cast her eyes to Anna. A smile creeping onto her face.

"That sounds wonderful. Just the two of us?" Anna asked looking back.

Elsa nodded and smiled. A second later they were both laughing. " _Success_."

Anna opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Kai.

"Your majesty, the Duke of Weaseltown," Kai announced presenting the ambassador to his queen.

"Weselton." The Duke replied sharply toward Kai. "Weselton, your majesty." This time in a softer tone.

"And as your biggest trading partner, it is only fitting that I offer you your first dance as queen." The Duke said then put on a weird display of his dance moves topping it off with a bow, which caused his toupee falling forward showing off his bald head.

A fit of suppressed giggles erupted from Anna and Elsa before she could restrain herself and address the Duke properly.

"Thank you for the offer, but I don't dance." After hearing a disgruntled sigh from the diplomat, she thought of Anna. "But, my sister would love to."

Anna chuckled before realizing Elsa had just sacrificed her to the man who was smaller than her.

The Duke immediately moved and looped his arm around Anna's arm, all but dragging her onto the dance floor. "Sorry." Elsa replied softly as she saw her sister disappear into the crowd.

"Bonne nuit, Ambassadeur."(Goodnight, Ambassador.) Hiccup replied to the Frankrike diplomat before taking his leave.

The Frankrike man nodded his head and held his glass up in recognition.

"Bonne nuit." (Goodnight.)

Hiccup smiled to himself, he had just had a productive conversation with his first diplomat. They had set a date for tomorrow where they would speak more about trade routes between their two kingdoms.

Looking to his right he saw Anna who was dancing, more like standing still while her dance partner danced around her, like a bird during a mating dance. " _Poor Anna_."

" _Perhaps now would be the time to ask Elsa for a dance, she made me a promise a few years back, now it is time to collect_."

Making his way over to where Kai was, he nodded toward him silently communicating his wishes to be presented to Elsa.

Kai smiled back and pointed to a spot on the floor behind another couple. Who were in idle conversation with his fiancée. They bowed and moved away.

Looking up at Elsa, he smiled. This was all for the show, they did not need introductions but this would make both parties look good in front of everyone else. It would make Elsa look more open and it would bring attention to Hiccup and his small kingdom.

"Your majesty, the Chief of Berk." Kai announced with a wave of his hand.

"Your majesty." He said then bowed.

Recovering he smiled and took a small step forward, this was not lost on all the guests who were watching the exchange. Out of the corner of his peripheral vision, he could see small chats and hushed whispers erupt.

"Chief Hiccup, a pleasure." Elsa replied then presented her gloved left hand to him, to which he took and laid a small kiss on where her ring would be.

"Likewise, glad to see you are wearing it." Hiccup whispered the last part just for her.

"I saw your poor sister dancing with a man that is old enough to be her grandfather. I hope you two are getting along?" He asked with a nervous smile. "We are. Slowly but surely we will make up for lost time."

"Good, now as your _closest_ friend in trading, I ask for a dance." He said holding out his hand for her to take.

As Elsa looked at Hiccups smile and extended hand, a thought crossed her mind. " _Wait a moment, if I were to accept his offering, that would make me look like a hypocrite in front of the Duke of Weselton. To spurn his offer, but immediately accept Hiccups. This could put a damper on trade talks and embarrass the Duke in front of everyone, which would likely cause him to hold this against me in the future. Hiccup will not like my answer."_

"I am sorry Chief Hiccup, but I politely refuse. I declined the Duke and to accept your invitation would be rude of me." Elsa said then gave an apologetic smile, hoping he would stop at that.

Hiccup blinked once, twice, three times before it clicked that she said no. He dropped his hand and stared at Elsa for a moment. "Queen Elsa, one: you promised me last December that we would have a dance, two: I am your fiancée and three: this is _your_ coronation and you make the rules." He whispered to her in a soft yet rough tone at the end.

"I know, but I have made my decision. Perhaps we can discuss things tomorrow in the courtyard, yes?"

Hiccup straightened his armor vest and bowed. "That sounds acceptable. Good night _Queen_ Elsa."

Hiccup then spun on his good foot and walked off.

" _Damn. Good job Elsa, you managed to upset your love in less time than it takes to brush Folgesvenn_." Elsa said to herself before looking to see Anna walk back up to the throne looking exhausted. " _Time to put on a happy face_."

"Have fun?" Giving a smile and a chuckle.

"Yes, I did. This is so nice, perhaps we can do things like this all the time?" Anna asked her sister with hope in her eyes and a smile on her face.

Several thoughts and memories passed through Elsa's mind. Hiccup freezing in the forest, she accidentally hurting Anna thus causing her to lose all her memories that involved her powers. Her parents being lost at sea, having to spend years holed up in this castle and her inability to fully control her powers. She caused these things one way or another because of her naivety and failure to reign in her feelings.

She knew she must remain in this castle until a point in time presented itself to where she could fully master her powers and leave. But today was not that day, she would not endanger her sister or Hiccup's life again. She could rule from her office or room entirely if necessary, others have done it, so can she. Anna would hate her, but she would be safe which was good enough.

"No. Not yet at least. But one day we can."

"But why not?" Anna asked confused. One moment they were laughing the next Elsa was shutting her out again. Reaching out to touch her, Elsa turned away.

"It just can't. I'm not ready yet."

Seeing Elsa turn away and reject her again, Anna felt her heart shatter. She moved to go back to the dance floor. "Excuse me for a moment, your majesty."

Elsa turned her hear and gave the back of Anna's form a regretful look. " _One day you will understand what I did for you and you will thank me."_

* * *

Hiccup finished off his second goblet of wine and motioned for another, a servant came took his empty glass and replaced it with a full one. He nodded his head in thanks. "Everything all right Hiccup?" Astrid asked as she moved to his side. "Yes, no, I don't know." He responded in a frustrated voice.

"What happened and you should slow down on the wine, some people are still sipping on their first, you don't want to become a target for them to look at and judge."

Hiccup who had brought the goblet up to his lips closed his mouth and brought the glass back down without taking a swig. "Elsa refused my hand for a dance and you should know that Arendelle's wine is weak. It is basically water and juice mixed in with a drop of alcohol, we could drink a barrel and not get light headed." Hiccup said causing him to give a ghost of a smile which retreated from his face as he looked back at Astrid.

"She promised me and she said no in front of everyone, now I am no better than that Duke of Weaselcity or something." Hiccup scoffed at her.

"Well, perhaps you can dance with me." Astrid asked as she brought her hand up for Hiccup to lead with.

He shook his head in disapproval. "Astrid, you know where I stand with Elsa, we are engaged, it would look bad of me to dance with another woman. Especially in front of her servants and guards who mostly know about us." Hiccup whispered to Astrid in a low voice.

"That may be true, but no one else does, you would be merely dancing with your shieldmaiden. Who has earned at least one dance if not more for her loyalty and work with you." Her hand was still raised between the two of them.

"My answer is still no, Elsa would see and cause her to have doubts about me, which is not what she needs right now." He brought the glass of wine to his lips a took a full gulp of the alcohol imitator.

Astrid's eye twitched at the sound of Elsa's name for stealing Hiccup's heart. That queen may be marrying him in a year or two, but they were not married yet, not yet.

"You know that prince over there, the one taking quick glances of me from time to time?" Astrid flicked her eyes to her right, causing him to look to his left at the man who was indeed looking at Astrid with lustful stares.

"Yes and?" Hiccup asked confused.

"Well, I think it is rude and perhaps I will go over there and give him a quick jab to his arm to make him stop."

Hiccup's eyes widened at the consequences of a quick jab. An international incident could embarrass him, Berk, and maybe even cause a war.

Hiccup slowly craned his neck to look back at Astrid. "You wouldn't." He said shocked that Astrid would stoop that low just for a dance. What was she playing at?

"I will if you say no. I have been a good friend, now reward me. She rejected you in front of everyone. If you want to get back at her, you will dance with me."

He shook his head, "I don't want to get back at her, she is most likely stressed with everything, we still love each other and will dance at another point. Now go off and drink or something." He motioned to Ruffnut and Fishlegs who were talking near the food table.

"No." Astrid told him directly.

"Astrid as your chief I am telling you to drop it." Hiccup countered with a commanding tone.

Astrid crossed her arms in front of her chest and leveled a strong glare at her friend.

"I have not grabbed you, flirted with you or anything else, now reward me or so help me I will knock that prince out with the rest of his entourage." She said as her right hand turned into a fist.

"You are bluffing."

Astrid smiled, "have I ever bluffed and not carried out my threat?"

She let her arms go lax against her sides and moved to walk in the direction of that Prince of Polska.

" _Dammit_."

He grabbed her fist and brought it to his side away from the eyes of everyone. "All right one dance."

"One dance." Astrid's voice was laced with happiness.

They moved to the center of the floor and assumed the correct position if he was going to dance he had to do it right, no doing anything halfway. He heard the beginning of the song and nearly groaned it was either dumb luck or Astrid planned this ahead of time for he knew from his years of going to the library and reading sheet music that this song was long, nearly eight minutes long.

But, if it prevented a war and made Astrid briefly happy, then he would do it; albeit under protest.

Taking their first steps, they moved around the dance floor with other couples, blending in, and hopefully away from the eyes of Elsa.

Said person forced a smile to come to her face as she watched her guests move about the floor. Many were standing off to the side and chatting amongst themselves or with a foreign representative. While others were paired off on the dance floor.

The truth was she could dance, rather well actually. She remembered how Hiccup moved with her when he had come to comfort her after her parent's death. She loved the little moments with Hiccup, the walks, the private dances, and of course the kisses. A ghost of a blush graced her cheeks at that thought.

Speaking of Hiccup, where was he? She scanned the room but did not immediately see him, looking to see where Ruffnut and Fishlegs were, surely, they would know where he is.

She cast her eyes to the right side of the room and sure enough, they were chatting and eating near the food table. " _Mercy, is the only thing they do is eat?"_ She knew it wasn't her place to talk about Hiccup followers, but still, Fishlegs would eat himself to death if he kept this up. She also felt bad for Hiccup and his people, from what she had been told the food on Berk was tough and tasteless. " _I guess they are enjoying food with actual flavor. And from what I remember, when I was on Berk was that Gerda had prepared most of my meals, so I didn't really partake in their cooking. God bless that woman."_

Elsa looked closely at Ruffnut who caught her gaze and silently flicked her eyes toward a couple near the very back of the room.

She felt her powers flare up at the sight of Hiccup and Astrid dancing together as if they belonged with one another. She looked down and caught the sight of a sliver of ice slowly extend from her slipper toward the couple in the back. Thinking of Hiccup giving her a kiss on the cheek and him proposing to her caused the ice to retreat. Her fist clenched at the sight of Astrid, dancing with her beloved. She saw Astrid's hands creep up Hiccups back and drew him in closer, from what she could see Hiccup followed her lead hesitantly.

" _It seems like Astrid tricked him or most likely forced him to dance with her."_ Elsa thought as she continued to stare at the dancing couple.

As Hiccup turned his back to Elsa to follow the beat of the music, Astrid raised her head and stared directly at the Queen. A small, but prideful smile rose to her face as she locked eyes with Elsa. Astrid mouthed the words " _he's mine, bitch_." Then turned her back to Elsa, disrespecting her in every way possible.

It took every happy memory of her and Hiccup to keep her powers under control. She forced her hands behind her back but hidden by the cape, so no one could see her clenched fists. Her teeth would shatter if she bit down any more, and Elsa had to cast her eyes to other guests to prevent her from freezing a hole into the back of Astrid's head.

" _Fine. I will dance._ "

Relaxing her hands, she allowed them to go lax at her sides. She slightly raised her left hand and made a gesture towards Gerda, who swiftly made her way to her queen.

"Yes, your Majesty?" Gerda asked quietly towards Elsa who still maintained eye contact with her guests on the floor.

"I wish to dance on the floor with Hiccup, but I am afraid my cloak will get stepped on or caught under my feet. Can you pin it up?" Elsa asked as she motioned towards her seven-foot-long cloak.

"Of course, your Majesty." Gerda said as she knelt and retrieved some pins from her pouch on her hip. Moving quickly and silently, Gerda pinned up Elsa's cloak so that it barely skimmed the floor.

"Done. The pins will stay in place as long as you don't do any strong twirls on the floor."

Elsa nodded in thanks, then slowly made her way down the two steps onto the floor. Guests bowed and tipped their heads in respect as she moved passed them. Elsa smiled and said, 'thank you' to anyone who acknowledged her.

She swiftly swept up to Hiccup and Astrid as they continued to move to the beat of the drums, oblivious to her.

"May I cut in?" Elsa asked the couple forcing a soft smile on her face when she really wanted to do was freeze Astrid and take Hiccup to his room and lock him away so only she could have access to him.

Hiccup whipped his head to Elsa's voice and nearly froze at the sight of his fiancée staring him and Astrid down. " _Oh, dear Thor kill me now_."

"May I?" Elsa repeated raising her hand.

Hiccup nodded and released his hold on Astrid, who did the same and backed away.

" _Well, well. I did not actually anticipate the timid queen to come onto the floor and interrupt my time with Hiccup. But still, those six minutes were worth it. I shall back off, for now."_

"Hiccup, thank you for the dance, I will be with Ruff and Fishlegs if you need anything." Astrid said in a polite but forced respectful tone. She then bowed and moved off the dance floor.

Elsa looked around as many couples gave sidelong glances at her for interrupting the flow of the dance. She did not care at that moment; her attention was on Hiccup and Hiccup alone.

Hand still raised in anticipation for Hiccup to grasp, only when she clicked her tongue against the underside of mouth did he finally grab her hand and move into preparation for the next slow song.

After a moment or two of silence did Elsa finally break the silence. "It was nice of you to give a dance to Astrid, even though it seems she took advantage of it." She said as she smiled at Hiccup, " _I will keep the insult she mouthed to me to myself, I do not want Hiccup to berate his friend in front of everyone and cause a scene."_ Elsa thought as they moved around the room with other couples in tow.

Hiccup chuckled at the idea that he gave anything to Astrid, his respect for his shieldmaiden plummeted after that dance.

"I did not give anything to her, she threatened to assault the Prince of Polska if I did not dance with her." Hiccup said offhandedly, casting a gaze toward his three friends who were drinking near one of the corners of the room.

Elsa's eyes widened at that remark. " _So, she cornered him and threatened to cause an incident if she did not get her way. That woman is dangerous_."

"Perhaps I will punish her when I go home, have her clean out the dragon cages for a month and ban her from flying on Stormfly for a little while. As to remind her who is in charge." Hiccup said as he brought his attention back to her.

Elsa hummed at this idea, "that is one way, another would be to have her watch over us as we take a stroll in the garden tomorrow."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her suggestion, "now that would be especially cruel, let us plan on it."

They both smiled as the song ended and everyone clapped their hands toward the musicians.

Another song started up almost immediately after the clapping stopped.

A comfortable silence fell amongst them as they softly twirled and floated across the dance floor. Many couples walked off the gleaming floor and made way for them, choosing instead to watch the Queen and the Viking dance. An unusual sight to say the least. The only people who were not smiling was the delegation from Weselton. " _It seems the Queen can dance_." The Duke angrily thought as he watched the couple dance across the floor, " _she lied to me and belittled me by having her younger sister dance with me instead of her. I will keep a close eye on the both of them_."

Hiccup cast his head around the room as if looking for someone. "Who are you looking for Hiccup?" Elsa asked as felt his hand move slightly from her hip towards the small of her back.

"For the life of me, I can't find Anna."

Her eyes looked at the floor in shame for just a moment, but it was enough for Hiccup to see.

"What happened?"

"She asked if this, the balls and the people can happen all the time. And I told her no, at least not yet. Needless to say, Anna got depressed and walked off."

Hiccup nearly groaned aloud at the situation Elsa placed herself in. "Elsa, this was your moment, a decade in the making and you said no. For the love of Thor, you could have just lied to her, and kept the gates closed till you were ready." Hiccup voiced exasperated.

"I know, but she didn't deserve to be lied to. I, my father and mother have kept Anna in the dark about my powers for over a decade, she deserves to know the truth about everything." Elsa replied to Hiccup as she slightly tightened her grasp on him.

Hiccup nodded at this. "She absolutely does, but not this moment, not here in front of everyone. Perhaps tomorrow, just the three of us in your office or in the gardens. Then we can tell her everything if you wish, you could even give a demonstration with a snowball or two." Hiccup said then gave a small smile remembering the first time Elsa showed him her powers. He still remembered how the snowball hit his face and fell off, him too shocked to do anything. He loved those little moments with Elsa.

"It seems the next couple of days will be very busy, from talking to Anna, to setting up trade partnerships with kingdoms including yours and finally addressing the concerns of my own kingdom." Elsa sighed at the thought of so much work ahead of her, at least she had Hiccup to help.

"Do you have enough wine?" Hiccup gave a slight chuckle, causing Elsa to look slightly up at him, and raising an eyebrow.

"I do, and if not, then Gerda will fetch for more. Wait, how do you know about my love of wine?"

"Not to be rude, but you do realize I write letters to people besides you right? I exchange letters with Gerda who updates me on your health, Birger on your safety and the occasional letter to Anna to keep her hopes up and inquire about Folgesvenn. Not to mention my advisors if they are away, and of course the other chiefs. Half my day is reviewing letters that have been read by Fishlegs, he provides me with the condensed version. That man is a godsend." He inquired then gave a quick glance over to the front corner which contained his friends.

A small smile came to his face, those three meant the world to him, but that didn't mean they didn't make mistakes. Case in point, Astrid blackmailing him to get a dance, Ruffnut getting too aggressive with people who overstayed their welcome and Fishlegs who occasionally spilled ale on letters he was reading. He would try to hammer those mistakes and quirks out over the next couple of months till they were a tight-knit team.

"No offense taken, like you, I have my own team of advisors, Gerda, Kai, and Birger. I owe them everything. Without them I would be lost, and still in my room, afraid to talk to anyone. I will continue to count on them well into the future."

Hiccup nodded and smiled at this remark, "that is good to hear, though we should find Anna at least to make sure she is safe. Don't want her wandering off and making a mess in another room." Hiccup said looking around the room for his future sister-in-law.

"Very true," Elsa replied in return with a small smile and signaled to one of her Guards. Turning to one of her Royal Guardsman who noticed her small hidden hand gesture she whispered, "find out the location of my sister Anna and keep an eye on her."

"Yes, your Majesty." He replied then reported his orders to Birger, who from what she could see sent a few men out to fulfill her orders.

The musical instruments died down as another song ended. She and Hiccup separated for a moment to applaud the musicians, but they rejoined as she signaled for another song to begin.

* * *

As the two of them swung around the dance floor, the foreign representatives were busily trying to find out who this young Viking was and where he had come from. They had asked the Royal Guards, but they remained tight-lipped unwilling to betray the trust of their queen. The servants and maids were the same, not willing to give out any information or gossip.

"Just who is this young man? From the way, he is talking to the Queen, it seems like they are old friends." Prince Albert from England inquired, as he stole a glimpse of the two young royals.

"True, true. Maybe they are even a couple." Lady Victoria, the wife of a lord from Sverige offered.

"A couple? Preposterous, the man is a cripple and unsuited for a queen. He should return to wherever he came from and marry a savage. The men are all bastards anyway." The Duke of Wesleton fired back, then finished his drink.

"My, my someone is in a foul mood already. What did the Viking chief ever do to you?" Prince Ludwik from Polska asked.

The Duke shot the prince a small glare who took a step back before addressing the young man. "He has never slighted me, but I fought and worked my way up the ladder to my position, I didn't marry my wife to gain entry into royalty. The savage over there most likely killed his own father to become chief and will try to marry Queen Elsa to gain a seat at the table. I will not let that happen, what about all of you?" He asked the small group of people around him.

"The Queen has the right to marry whomever she chooses. I can imagine the man was vetted before he stepped foot in this castle. And we don't have the right to interfere in her affairs, the consequences could mean trade restrictions for our host country." Lady Victoria offered then narrowed her eyes at the Duke.

Prince Albert nodded in agreement, "I concur. We have had an excellent relationship with Arendelle, and we refuse to interfere in their personal matters."

Prince Ludwik shook his head in disagreement, "the Viking wore armor to this occasion meaning he is accustomed to war, if he is truly with the queen, he may try to seize power and use Arendelle as a platform to conduct raids on our kingdoms. I will not let that happen, this Viking and his home will be watched over very closely. Just remember Vikings had at one point or another invaded and occupied our homelands."

Realization settled over the men and women who glanced back at the Viking and Queen Elsa who were gliding over the dance floor all the while conversing in silence unaware of the alliances being formed with and against them.

Hiccup felt his ears heat up but ignored it. His attention was on his fiancée. "Elsa, there was another matter we may need to discuss."

"Which is?" She inquired.

"Dragons." Hiccup said nonchalantly.

Elsa looked to her left and right to make sure no one overheard. "Next time, be less casual when you mention those creatures. Everyone around me has never seen or even thought about dragons before." She quipped back.

"You are right, sorry. By the way, Toothless is doing fine and will want to see you later, perhaps you can come to the cove again. But it does bring up the fact that we will need to discuss the integration of dragons into Arendelle." Hiccup said as he swung Elsa out then retracted her back to him.

"Integration? How would we do something like that?" Elsa asked never really thinking about bringing dragons into Arendelle except for Hiccup to use as transportation of course.

"I will discuss that at a later time, perhaps in a more private and empty room. We will need to look at some maps and talk to a few ministers to make a solid plan." He offered as he looked at a small clique of men and women who were following their every move with calculated ease.

"Of course, I have you for the next week. We have lots of things to discuss, including our wedding." Elsa whispered to him as she dipped her head.

"That reminds me, how come no one has come to us and offered their congratulations on our engagement? I have told nearly every tribe chief in the archipelago, they all want to meet with you at some point to create trade deals and possibly even alliances." Hiccup asked quietly as he looked around at everyone.

Elsa dipped her head lower in shame, not wanting to look at Hiccup at that precise moment. Hiccup caught the underlying meaning of her sudden shyness.

"Elsa? You…you haven't told anyone, have you?" Hiccup quipped to her, rightfully angry. He gripped her hand and back a little tighter. "Are…are you embarrassed by me for being incomplete or not as rich as everyone else? It has been over six months, Elsa."

Elsa's head shot up, almost hitting Hiccup's chin in the process. "I will never be embarrassed by you or your handicap. I was just stressed about everything and had no clear moment or event to tell anyone about us. But I will soon, I swear it." Elsa replied unwaveringly.

A smile came to his face and he relaxed a little, "that is good. I can wait." He said as he drew her closer and paused, the song had just finished. They drew apart and clapped with the other couples toward the band.

She caught the eye of the conductor and mouthed the word "slow" to him. He nodded his head and flipped a couple of pages in the music sheet book. He tapped his baton and began to conduct.

"One more Chief Hiccup?" Queen Elsa asked towards her dance partner.

Catching the tune of the current song, Hiccup looked at Elsa and smiled, "but of course your Majesty."

They drew together once more, this time Hiccups hand dipped into her lower back and drew her a bit closer, sending hushed whispers throughout the ballroom. They were the only ones on the dance floor, as everyone wanted to watch the two of them dance and then gossip about it to their neighbor or partner.

Elsa had never felt more secure, happy, and loved than she did at that one moment, being in Hiccup arms and him looking at only her. Everything and everyone else drifted from their view as they looked at one another, they were in their own universe. Nothing could disrupt them as they moved across the dance floor with ease as if they had been dancing for years.

They and most everyone else was happy for them, a few notable exceptions being Astrid, the Duke of Weselton and Prince Ludwik of Polska, who looked on in disdain and quietly plotted against them just in case.

As the song ended, everyone started to clap not only for the band but the two young royals as well for showing off a beautifully almost coordinated dance. Elsa looked up at Hiccup and really wanted to kiss him and be held in his arms for the rest of the night, but not yet. She drew out of his arms and hands and dipped her head towards everyone in thanks.

Hiccup almost reached out to grab Elsa to kiss, but he was able to reign in his hormones and smile and nod towards all the men and envoys in the room. He would escort Elsa to her room tonight, to make sure she got there safely of course.

Elsa flicked her hand towards Gerda, who came over immediately.

"Yes, your majesty?" Gerda asks after she curtsied in respect.

"Have champagne passed out to everyone and tell the band I will be making an announcement." She said with ease, a smile on her face.

"Of course, I will take care of everything," Gerda said then turned on her heel and made her way over to the door leading to the kitchens.

Hiccup looked closely at Elsa, he could see her pulling her gloves on tighter and flexing her hands. " _Could she be ready to announce our engagement here, now_?" He wouldn't put it past her, but perhaps she wanted to toast and thank everyone for coming and celebrating her coronation with her. " _That would be more likely_." He thought as he watched her walk up the two-step platform and turn around, hands clasped in front of her.

Her eyes drifted to him and she flicked her eyes to the spot beside her.

" _Perhaps not_." The realization of Elsa announcing their engagement to everyone in the ballroom sent a wave of nervousness to his stomach, but he dared not show it outwardly.

The once noisy room fell silent with the envoys and their respected partners watching the Viking Chief go up the two steps and stand beside the recently anointed queen. Many eyes widened and a few heads tilted as glasses full of champagne were passed out by the servants. Realization washing over them all that this Viking was more than just a mere friend.

"Perhaps she is announcing an alliance with the Viking?" Prince Albert suggested as he stroked his chin in anticipation.

Lady Victoria craned her head to look at the posture of the two. "Maybe, but considering the occasion, a military alliance would best be put in a bulletin and not announced at a joyous moment. No, this will be something else entirely."

Prince Ludwik and the Duke were two steps behind Victoria and Albert. "I have a feeling that I know what she is going to say, but I hope I am wrong," Ludwik said as he watched a servant hand two glasses of champagne to Queen Elsa and Chief Hiccup.

"I have that same feeling, but even if it is true, there are still ways to prevent it from happening. Are you with me?" The Duke asked as he casually turned his head to his right and gave a quick look at the taller man.

"I am." Ludwik said as he stuck out his hand. The Duke clasped it and gave a firm shake.

And out of a possible upset in power, an alliance was born.

* * *

Elsa looked around the room and smiled at all those who attended. Nearly all her guests were looking at her, the others were still conversing with their partners or with other envoys. She glanced at Hiccup who stood two paces to her right and who also was smiling at her guests, he gave nods to other men and a hand signal to his friends in the back. " _Most likely telling them to pay attention."_ Elsa thought as she and her suitor were handed glasses full of champagne.

" _This is it, Elsa, you can do it. And once it is out in the open, everything will be simpler, one less secret to keep. Here we go_."

Elsa flexed her hands once, drew in a deep breath and smiled.

All eyes in the room were cast upon Elsa as she was given the floor, not a soul dare sneeze, cough or clear their throat. Everyone wanted to know what the big announcement was going to be. And they especially wanted to know the connection between the Queen and the mysterious Viking Chief.

"Nineteen years ago, my father set sail for an expedition of the northern isles, while exploring one such island he happened to come across the Hooligan tribe, and after a few meetings a deal was set for the following month in Arendelle. The late Chief Stoick, his wife Valka and their son Hiccup arrived on schedule. After several days of talks a contract was struck, in exchange for their precious knowledge of the northern waters and rare resources, we would allow their son Hiccup to come to our home every three years for a few months to learn about our lands, knowledge, and be educated in world politics. They would also gain access to our ports for trade and travel." She said then presented Hiccup with a wave of her hand who smiled and nodded toward the room of representatives.

"After several years a friendship had blossomed between the two of us and with that came a sense of belonging. Following a tragic accident on Berk in which Hiccup lost his left foot to a harvesting machine, I came to nurse him back to health. A feeling of love and understanding flourished and we started courting thereafter," Elsa said as many in the room started to look back and forth between the Queen and Chief, their eyes growing larger as they put two and two together.

"After six years of courting, many letters and packages, Hiccup invited me to Berk to celebrate my twenty-first day of birth. Once all the celebrating and parties were finished, he took me for a long walk along the island where at the end near a secret cove, he asked for my hand in marriage. I said 'yes' and then we celebrated some more." Elsa voiced with a smile, followed by a small laugh, and a glance at Hiccup.

She then ungloved her left hand and showed everyone the silver engagement band, some people's eyes widened even more. One man's monocle fell into his glass of champagne which caused his drink to spill all over his hand. After a few seconds of showing off the ring, she re-gloved her hand and held out her right arm to which Hiccup laced his arm around hers and they molded into each other.

"We marry in eighteen months, and you all are invited to the engagement party in three months' time. Our union will bring wealth, progress and stability to the region." Elsa voiced with practiced ease, a smile coming to her face as she felt Hiccup stroke her arm with his thumb.

Kai stepped in and pronounced, "to Queen Elsa and Chief Hiccup, may their union bring happiness and goodwill to all!"

The guests, ambassadors and royal sons and daughters then raised their glasses and toasted to the engaged couple. "To Queen Elsa and Chief Hiccup, hear, hear!"

The champagne was consumed, and a wave of clapping commenced. Elsa and Hiccup drank their alcohol, waved, and smiled to the well-wishers.

Hiccup whispered into Elsa's ear, "fantastic story Elsa, you should consider writing a story sometime."

Elsa glanced at him knowing he was referring to the bit about his leg and the pact, leaving out the crucial part of the dragons and marriage contract. "They will find out, but only if we allow it. This way no one will ask for my hand in marriage to sweeten a trade deal or alliance. I am yours, now and forever." She whispered as she looked directly into his eyes.

As he considered her eyes, there was no hidden truth or agenda behind them, she was promising herself to him for all time.

A surge of love and respect coursed through his body from the bottom of his heart to the top of his head and his body reacted out of instinct. He leaned down and kissed her square on the cheek. He felt a rush of warmth rise to her face as he kissed her in front of everyone. Hiccup did not care about their reaction, only Elsa's and from what he felt, he accomplished his task at making her feel his love.

As Elsa felt Hiccup kiss her cheek in front of everyone, she felt her heart explode in love and jealous looks appeared on most of the women, though one face stood out from all else and that was Astrid's face. This was better than having her watch over them as they would stroll through the gardens, Hiccup was showing his love to her in front of everyone and that included Astrid.

Pulling back from the kiss a wave of "aww's" filled the room, mostly from the single ladies.

A deep red blush graced Elsa's cheek and a large smile plastered itself on Hiccups face.

"Shall we talk to some of your guests, my Queen?" Hiccup asked in his most official sounding voice.

"I believe we shall." Elsa replied with a small smile and look of understanding. Time to be a Queen regnant.

The first to come to their side was Captain Birger.

"What is it Captain, and have you found Anna yet?" Elsa asked.

"Your Majesty, we have, she is conversing with Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles. The last solid location we had them at was the hallway connecting the gallery to the main hall. After that my men reported seeing them at the clock tower, the horse stables, on the bridge and on the umm… rooftops." Birger said rather embarrassed at the idea of Anna being on a roof.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at the mention of the rooftop, "my sister is sitting on a rooftop somewhere?"

"Possibly." Birger made a clicking sound with his tongue to confirm the fact that Anna could be sitting on the roof right above them. He even glanced at the ceiling.

"…" Elsa held a blank look on her face. " _For some reason, I would not be surprised, she always had way more energy than I and she always wanted to climb on and over things. But a roof_?"

"Queen Elsa may I suggest having Birger order his men to find and retrieve Anna and bring her here for her own safety." Hiccup offered his idea. "Or we can have my men do it. But since she is not familiar with them, she might not react too well to them."

Elsa looked at Hiccup and Birger and nodded her head, "Captain, have some of your men find and retrieve Anna, then bring her here to me."

Captain Birger snapped to attention and gave a small bow. "At once, your Majesty."

As she watched Birger relay her orders to his men, she watched others begin to line up to get in a possible word with her.

"You ready, Hiccup?"

"I am, let us begin."

Moving forward she addressed two longtime supporters of her family with effortlessness, that came from hundreds if not thousands of hours studying with Gerda and Kai. "Lady Victoria of Sverige and Prince Albert of England, it is an honor to finally meet you. May I introduce you to Chief Hiccup of Berk, my dear friend, and fiancée." Elsa voiced with confidence as she presented Hiccup to her guests.

Hiccup beamed at the mention of 'fiancée'. "It is an honor to meet you Lady Victoria and Prince Albert, I hope your travel was safe and uneventful." Hiccup said as he presented his hand for them to shake.

Prince Albert and then Lady Victoria took his hand and shook it.

Victoria and Albert smiled at the introduction and knowing that he cared for their safety and comfort.

"The trip here was uneventful, and the sailing was smooth as silk, perhaps Mother Nature herself wants everyone to have a good time." Prince Albert said then gave a mild chuckle.

Lady Victoria took a half step forward and bowed toward Elsa in respect. "I cannot say the same about the roads your majesty, they were quite bumpy along the main highway. And the bridge which is named after your father, God rest his soul, was in dire need of repair, thankfully it held up to the traffic and carriages. I do believe your infrastructure will need a surge of coin to make it beautiful again." Victoria offered and gave the young Queen a soft almost apologetic smile.

Elsa flushed slightly in embarrassment at the mention of her kingdom's infrastructure. She knew she had to make changes to the infrastructure and raising taxes was one way to achieve that. She would get resistance from her Finance Minister or her people, but she was Queen and will do what it takes to make Arendelle whole again.

"I am sorry your trip here was bumpy, but rest assured I have already drawn up plans to take care of those problems in the coming months. I may even ask Hiccup for his opinion on the matter as he is an accomplished engineer." Elsa voiced as he patted Hiccup on his arm.

Prince Albert who was in the middle of sipping on his glass of wine he had grabbed off a passing tray, stopped at look at the young man. "An engineer, you say? Tell me Chief Hiccup, what have you built recently?" A tone of what could be described as giddiness laced into his question.

Elsa was happy to steer the conversation into something more manageable than her kingdom's deteriorating roads and bridges.

"Well, after a particularly bad dra… winter storm. Many roofs and buildings needed to be replaced, along with a bridge and the removal of all the ice took only a few days. We, Vikings are very good at building things. How about yourself?"

"A few years ago I…" Elsa listened then felt someone tap her arm. She looked to see Lady Victoria motion her over a few steps. "Lady Victoria?"

She gave a knowing smirk, "I suggest we let the boys talk about their 'amazing' engineering feats alone, so we can talk about more important matters."

"Such as?"

"I wanted to offer my thanks for being invited to your engagement party, and I will be able to attend. I also wanted to ask what were the circumstances surrounding your engagement, may I see the ring again?" Elsa gave a small smile and ungloved her hand to show Victoria her ring finger. Elsa was so relieved that Victoria had not asked about Hiccups foot or the exact conditions on how he lost it.

"It is a lovely ring, where may I ask did he get it? It is simplistic, yet beautiful." Victoria asked as

she subconsciously rubbed one of her many right-hand rings, possibly from her husband or maybe she bought for herself.

Elsa flexed her hand and rubbed the ring with her thumb, "he made it himself at his forge. He promised to replace it with a gold ring, but I love this one just fine. The fact he made it himself with love and hard work is much more valuable than mere gold." Victoria gave a soft, yet true smile at the naïve queen.

"That is rare these days… true love. Many of the women I have met, marry for purely financial reasons. A large castle, millions of gold coins, a powerful army, navy, or a successful trade route. And yet it seems this man..." pointing to Hiccup. "have none of those things. But he won your heart, and you will rule over a vast kingdom with him at your side. You are unlike most women."

" _Understatement of my life_." Elsa thought as she re-gloved her hand and looked up at the older Lady. "How so?"

"Many women have no power under their husbands, but in your marriage, you will be ruling over him, as he will become a prince consort when you marry. He will have no responsibilities or powers in your kingdom, what will you have him do when he is here other than to _entertain_ you?" Lady Victoria asked with little facial recognition.

A light reddish blush settled on Elsa's cheeks at the mention of 'entertain'. There were many forms of _entertainment_ she wanted him to try on her, but she was getting ahead of herself.

"I have nothing set in stone yet, but I was thinking about asking him to send over his men to help repair the roads and bridges. I will have to talk with my advisors and council first on how many men or resources we would need."

Suddenly she heard a low whistle, looking to her right she saw Hiccup balancing on one foot while showing Albert his prosthetic foot. The older gentlemen looking over the foot with great enthusiasm, while not noticing the looks of horror and surprise from some of the older men and women around them.

Elsa furrowed her eyebrows together in slight agitation, " _Hiccup seems to be causing a scene, something he is very good at."_

Relaxing her shoulder, she looked at Lady Victoria. "We leave the men alone for ten minutes and Hiccup is already falling apart. I suggest we go over and keep them in line." Elsa declared as she pointed toward Hiccup and Albert.

"I believe we should." Victoria responded in agreement with a slight chuckle at the Queens humor.

Walking a meter or two over to her fiancée who was still showing the inner working of his foot to the older Prince, Elsa patted Hiccup on the arm. Feeling the tap, Hiccup looked down to see a slightly irritated Elsa. " _Great, what have I done now_?" He thought as he briefly swayed back and forth.

"Yes, my dear?" Hiccup responded in an over lovingly voice.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow at her question, " _isn't it obvious_."

"I am showing my engineering prowess to Prince Albert, he even gave a few suggestions on possibly upgrading my foot. The man is a great innovator and very experienced in mathematics.

Perhaps I will show him some of my sketches later in the evening."

Elsa took in a breath and released it. "Hiccup, people are staring at the footless Viking, maybe you should put your prosthetic back on," Elsa stated as he took a glance around the room, true to her word, many of the older men and women were taking sidelong glances at them.

" _Damn, I am embarrassing Elsa_ _and stealing the attention away from her._ "

Hiccup's shoulder slumped in embarrassment. "Sorry, Elsa." He whispered.

"No apologies are needed, now give me your prosthetic." Then held out her hands waiting for him.

He raised an eyebrow but decided to go along with her wishes giving his foot to her.

"Good, now raise your leg."

His eyes widened considerably knowing what she was asking of him. "Elsa, you do not need to do such a thing, I am capable on my own."

Elsa looked straight into Hiccup's eyes, not backing down. She would not be refused, "Hiccup, raise your leg. Now." He then felt a small shiver go down his spine, as Elsa's eyes bored into his own.

"Does anyone else feel a cold draft in here." Prince Albert asked the small group, wrapping his uniform around his body a little tighter. "I felt it too, it seemingly came out of nowhere," Victoria replied looking around the room for an open window or door, but only saw other men and women looking around as well.

"Elsa, your powers." Hiccup whispered.

"I'm still waiting," Elsa replied tapping her foot slightly.

Seeing he was not going to win, he raised his knee to waist level and extended his partial leg outwards towards Elsa. Bending down slightly she placed the prosthetic on Hiccups leg and laced the bindings together to secure the foot. It was over in seconds, but a few people still saw the young queen bend over and attach the foot causing hushed whispers to erupt among several parties.

"Most women would not have done what you did Queen Elsa, bending down towards their husbands. A Queen bowing to a Chief, even if it was not in an official capacity." Lady Victoria quipped.

"As you said it before, I am unlike most women," Elsa replied with a smile.

"That you are, but you are better than most women," Hiccup responded with a kiss on Elsa's head to which she responded with a mild blush.

"I believe we have taken up enough time for the young couple, perhaps we should let other representatives get a word in. Don't you think Lady Victoria?" Prince Albert asked his old friend.

"I believe you are right Prince Albert, will you escort me to the refreshment station?"

"Always." He laced his arm with hers. "Queen Elsa, Chief Hiccup it was a pleasure to meet you both and hope to see you two in the coming days." He said then held out his hand to shake. Elsa and Hiccup both shook it then did the same with Victoria. She gave a caring smile to the two of them then backed away, curtsied, and moved with Albert towards the side of the room and out of view.

Hiccup let out a small breath, "how do you think we did on our first conversations with other royalty?"

"I believe pretty well considering the whole foot part. Are you ready for more? I see representatives from France and Ireland slowly making their way over."

Hiccup moved to stand in front of Elsa, with his back to the representatives as if telling them 'not come to come over'.

"Hiccup?"

"Elsa, when you were announcing our engagement to the representatives and guests, you said we will marry in eighteen months, what happened to the three years I announced on Berk back in December?" He asked generally confused at the sudden loss of now a year.

"You see, I looked at the contract that both our families signed and in it, our wedding had to be before we turn twenty-three and we must have children before twenty-six. And with me being a year older means we only have eighteen months to plan the wedding and marry." Elsa said as she softly gripped Hiccups right hand.

Hiccup massaged his temple, thinking of all the things that would need to be done to fit into this new timeframe. Invitations, meal plans, entertainment were just the tip of the iceberg. They also had to think about security, the honeymoon, gifts, and dozens of small but significant matters.

"Elsa, why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

Taking both of his hands into hers, she looked down at her feet and then back at him. "I was nervous about your reaction, and I only read the fine print a few weeks ago. I knew you were busy with keeping Berk safe from Drago who we know is still out there. And I didn't want to bother you with something I can manage. But, yes it was wrong of me to not write you about this and for that I'm sorry." She said and gave Hiccup an apologetic look.

"Come on Elsa, you don't need to apologize, and you just need to remember we are in this together. By the way, what happens if we fail to marry on time?"

Elsa glanced to the side trying to remember the penalties for voiding the contract.

"To whoever causes the contract to be voided must pay the other party a hefty fine, and as of right now it stands at five hundred pounds worth of gold. And voiding the contract would cause me to be up for grabs to other suitors. Where I could be pressured into marrying them to avoid conflict or finalize a new alliance. And that is only possible if we fail to marry in time."

Hiccup felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach at the thought of Elsa marrying someone else. "Consequently, if we are even a single day late, I would have to pay a small fine, and possibly lose you forever?" He asked trying to get the figures right.

"Yes."

For a moment, a thought passed through Elsa's head. " _Small fine? Five hundred pounds of gold is not small. That is nearly one point three million coins and hiccup didn't even flinch at that number, does that mean Berk is richer than what the council believes the island to be worth? Actually, we have never talked finances to any great extent, the next coming days will truly be busy."_

Hiccup too, thought for a moment then looked back at Elsa, "how about we marry right now?"

Elsa reared back in surprise. "What?"

"We have the archbishop in the room, everyone is already here, and the chapel is right outside. So, let us get married right this moment. Furthermore, we would be able to _share_ a bed together, tonight." Hiccup added to the raising and lowering of his eyebrows.

While the prospect of sharing a bed with Hiccup was all the encouragement she needed, in addition to being able to try all the ideas she read about in her romance novels. Elsa had to maintain tradition like all her parents and grandparents before her, and she was a queen, not a mere princess who could do whatever she wanted. Elsa had to be smart, restrained, and traditional.

"Sorry, but no. We will have a traditional wedding in eighteen months and we will share a bed together, but not yet nor tonight."

Hiccup smiled at her response. "I knew you were going to say that, but you can't blame me for trying. Can I at least walk you to your bedchambers tonight?"

Elsa gave this some thought.

"You may, but no further. We don't want scandalous rumors to start this early in my reign. Are you ready now?" She said motioning toward the envoys.

"Not quite, I need have a brief chat with my friends and I also need to go to the water closet. I have not gone in hours. Will you be able to manage without myself at your side?" Hiccup asked as he eyed his fiancée.

"I should believe so, I have trained for this moment most of my life and will have to continue once you leave to go back home. Just come back once you are all squared away, yes?"

He nodded and gave a quick peck on the cheek. Letting go of her hands, he bowed and moved to find his team.

She suddenly felt vulnerable, but locked those feelings away and presented herself as a regal and ready queen. Turning to face the approaching Fransk and Irske envoys, she put on a beautiful smile and held out her hand for them to shake. "Bonsoir Monsieur Aleron, comment était votre voyage ici?" (Good evening, Mr. Aleron, how was your trip here?)

* * *

Hiccup moved passed all the men and women of different kingdoms and parties and out into the semi-empty hallway, which had a guard every so many meters. Letting out a massive breath as he did so, he relaxed his guard if only for a moment. Strolling down a hallway or five, he was able to find the bathroom and relieve himself of a good amount of used water.

" _Why are all the bathrooms so far away from everything?_ " he wondered. Once he washed his hands and dried them with a soft towel, he looked in the mirror to check himself. Opening his mouth to check if there was anything stuck in his teeth, thankfully there wasn't, he then stared at the man in the mirror.

"Everything is going well, only another hour or two and it will all be over. We will be in our separate bedchambers and a huge weight will be off us. Then I can start to make Arendelle whole again and maybe rectify the relationship between Elsa and Anna. We can make it, just no more incidents." Hiccup said to himself as he took one last breath and moved back into the deserted hallway.

"Hey, Chief." Ruffnut said as Hiccup moved passed. Leaning against the far wall and watching the wall clock tick by.

Hiccup would have jumped in surprise if the fact that he had not caught a whiff of her when he was moving out of the room. The woman really needed to try some perfume or oil.

"How long have you been standing there?" Hiccup asked as she fell in line with him.

Counting on her fingers, "about two minutes. Chief do I need to remind you that I am your guardian and you should tell me when you plan to leave the room? If you take unplanned liberties, it makes it harder to protect you and keep my oath." Ruffnut chastised him as they rounded a corner on their way back to the great hall.

Coming to a stop, Hiccup looked at Ruffnut, who had grown up not only in terms of height but in maturity as well. No longer was she willy-nilly about things, she was calm, composed and at times ruthless. A great warrior who had watched his back at all hours of night and day and was willing to kill without question. As she had shown many a time on their excursions to find Drago. She was in a sense a closer friend than that of Astrid, who he had kept at a house length so not to cause Elsa more stress. He knew Astrid still wanted him and would do anything to try and be with him, including threatening to assault a prince to gain a dance. He would have to punish her later for that.

"You are absolutely right Ruffnut, and for that I am sorry." Moving back to the center of the hallway they continued their trek. "Now, is there anything I should be aware of?" Hiccup asked in a hushed whisper and they slowed their walk.

Ruffnut closed the distance to one step behind him to share the confidential info she had gathered in the ballroom. "Only a few things, it seems no one knows about our dragons. There were no questions as to how we got here or why we did not have a ship in the harbor, but a few kingdoms have expressed disagreement at the fact that Queen Elsa is now engaged to a Viking no less. Also, they do not like you and would like to see you two broken up."

Hiccup stopped at the mention of that. "Which kingdoms?"

"Weselton and Polska, and from what I observed they have entered into what appears to be a pact, although not official yet, it is still an agreement of sorts. To come to each other's aid in time of war. Should I continue to observe them?" She asked with a look of mischief.

" _Elsa has not even been queen for twelve hours and, yet she already has two potential enemies, I will definitely have to tell her about this later_. _But not tonight, I would not want to overburden her."_ Looking back at Ruffnut, he gave her a single nod in confirmation.

"Right, Chief. Best get back to the party and check in with everyone else. Come on."

Taking a few minutes to get back to the party, he slipped back into his professional and happy state of being as a Viking Chief who was engaged to the Queen of Arendelle.

Moving around several parties who turned and extended their hands in congratulations at the announcement of the engagement, he accepted and thanked all of them.

Finally making it back to his team with a breath of exhaustion as his friends circled around him to shield him from prying eyes. "And you told us not to cause a scene, Mr. Almighty Chief." Astrid quipped as she moved to his side opposite of Ruffnut with Fishlegs coming to stand in front of him.

"What?" Hiccup voiced confusion.

"The prosthetic foot scene, you should have heard the men and women gossip as they saw you take your foot off and show it to the Prince of England. For the love of Thor, Hiccup, you represent all of Berk. And right now, we are embarrassed to be looked at." Astrid said as she moved to hit him on the arm, but restrained herself at the last moment.

Hiccup arched an eyebrow at her quip, did she not forget her own act of potential embarrassment?

"This coming from the woman who threatened to hit the Prince of Polska if I didn't dance with her. Don't think I forgot, you won't be riding Stormfly for a month when we get back home." He told Astrid who dropped her head in shame at being punished in front of her friends.

Looking towards Fishlegs who was drinking a large mug of ale, from what he had to believe he brought in from the outside.

"Fishlegs, give me a quick military outline of Weselton and Polska."

"Here? Now?" Fishlegs asked looking around at everyone in the room.

"Yes, now." He said tersely.

"Yes, Chief. Well, Weselton has a small but well maintained and professional army and navy that they keep ready at all times. The kingdom dedicates a large sum of their wealth towards their military and is considered one of the best in the region. Expertly led and trained, their men are well paid and are given generous benefits. As for Polska, while they do not have a professional army of sorts, it is still large by any means. Nearly three times the size of Weselton's, though they have less money directed toward it and do not have the latest in weaponry or tactics. But they make up for it with a large navy, it too not as refined or grandiose as Weselton's." Taking a moment to drink some of his ale to wet his dry throat, he continued.

"Though, if the two were to band together, they would have a vast well trained and well-led army and navy which could easily threaten any kingdom in the region. Why do you ask?" Fishlegs asked as he looked at his chief while taking another sip of his soon to be an empty mug.

Hiccup gave a small groan and looked at Ruffnut, "are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Looking at her and taking a quick glance at the Duke and Prince, who was frowning at Elsa.

"Alright, Ruffnut I want you to try and gather some more information on those two. Astrid, see if you can flirt or even talk to the Prince since he did have his eye on you. And Fishlegs, observe the room see if you can find any more parties of interest."

"Right, Chief." He heard as he nodded his head towards all of them and departed to make his way back to Elsa.

* * *

" _Where could those two be?"_ Birger thought to himself as he checked in on another pair of guards searching for Princess Anna and Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Asking whether they found them the pair only frowned and shook their heads from side to side. "Mercy of God, the Queen will have my rank if I don't retrieve them." Looking out from one of the lookout towers positioned near the bridge connecting the castle to the main square, Birger looked across the rooftops, the bell tower and finally the waterfall that looked out at the castle itself. Nothing.

Looking over the many pathways that led to the waterfall, he caught a glimpse of two people skipping their way rather joyfully down the patch back to the castle. " _Is that them?"_

Taking out a spyglass, he caught the back of a woman with red hair and Prince Hans. "There we go, found you, finally," Birger said in relief.

Putting the spyglass back on the shelf, he ran along the wall to the rear gate knowing they would have to go through there to get back inside. Skidding to a halt when some royal representatives came into view, looking down to see if he was presentable and releasing a breath. He nodded toward the older gentleman and lady on his arm. "Evening."

The two-nodded back and carried on their way. Birger calmly walked over to the entrance waited for the two young royals. " _I should let Anna know the trouble she brought us with her little excursion with an unescorted prince, no less. But I can do that later, perhaps even tomorrow._ " He said as the two came into his sight, he stowed that thought away and put on a professional stance.

"Princess Anna, Prince Hans, we have been looking everywhere for you. I suggest next time, you let me assign a guard to you, so we know where you are in case of emergencies." He said as the two came to a halt in front of him, the two looked very close to having just met. " _Too close_."

"Apologies Captain, I was caught up in the moment and time got away from us. Did I miss anything important?" Anna asked as she held onto Prince Hans' hand, drawing a raised eyebrow from the old guard.

"Yes, you did, there was an important announcement regarding the relationship between Arendelle and Berk."

Anna raised her eyebrows at this statement, "truly? What was it?"

"I will let the Queen answer that question, now come. We must not keep her waiting." Birger said as he moved to walk in front of the two, leading them back into the main hallway. Taking a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure they were following, they were. He noted how they had not stopped holding hands, occasionally looking lovingly into each other's eyes, or giggling as they caught their glances. " _What exactly happened in those two hours, they were off alone?"_

Two Royal Guards held the main doors open for Captain Birger, Princess Anna, and Prince Hans as they approached and went through. As they did so they attracted several glances from many delegates, lords, ladies and princes and princesses. They could see Queen Elsa talking to the delegates from Irland and Frankrike, moving toward his young queen, he moved till he was two paces from her.

Clearing his throat to gain their attention, the Queen looked at him wanting to know why he interrupted her conversation.

"Apologies your Majesty, we have found Princess Anna and Prince Hans" he gestured behind him to where the two waved at her as if they were children.

"Thank you, Captain Birger, that will be all." She said as she turned to look at him fully.

"Yes, your Majesty." He then bowed and moved to stand alongside the wall near the back of the room.

Turning back to the envoys, she gave an apologetic smile. "Ça vous dérange si on remballe ça une autre fois?" (Do you mind if we wrap this up another time?)

The Fransk delegate looked behind the Queen and gave her a knowing smile, "bien sûr, votre Majesté." (Of course, your Majesty.) He and the Irske delegate bowed towards Queen Elsa and left, leaving the queen to her family.

Personally, Elsa wanted to continue their conversation, but she had to deal with her disappearing sister, who had run off with a prince without an escort, no less. Surely the gossip was already flying back and forth about that.

Turning around she looked at the two, who were talking amongst themselves.

"Anna?" Trying to gain her sister's attention.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry Elsa, I mean Queen Elsa." Anna said as she curtsied toward her older and higher ranked sibling.

"Where have you been? I had to send nearly a dozen guards to look for you, Anna. I was worried, I received reports that you were seen dancing on rooftops. Though who ever saw that, must get their eyes checked since there would be no reason to do something so dangerous or stupid." Elsa said then gave a mild chuckle at the thought of dancing on rooftops.

Anna too gave a mild chuckle to cover up her embarrassment at being caught knowing that she had absolutely danced and sat on a rooftop or three.

"Yes, very stupid." Anna said and gave a pursed-lip smile.

"Now, we have much to discuss…" Prince Hans heard as he looked over at Anna.

" _Though Elsa would have been preferable, Anna is a worthy catch. I found a woman who is beautiful, genuine, perky, and not overly smart, an ideal wife. I can do much with this if the Queen says 'yes' to our engagement. And when we marry, I will only be two breaths away from ruling Arendelle. This is almost too easy."_

Looking past the two sisters he saw the one-legged Viking everyone in the room kept taking glances at. The man was walking over towards them and listening in on their private discussion. " _Who the hell does this man think he is?"_

"Pardon me my Lord, but this is a private conversation." Prince Hans voiced toward the rude Viking, causing Anna and Elsa to look towards the unknown man.

Elsa put a smile on her face because a smile was always better than a questioned look or a frown, especially at a party. And when Anna recognized the unknown man to be a much grown and matured Hiccup, she beamed with joy.

"Hiccup!" Anna yelled as she bounded over to Hiccup. Hiccup scooped Anna up by her axilla's and gave her a twirl. Then set her down. "Why hello little sister, have you been good?"

Anna gave him a cheeky smile, "of course."

"And how is Folgesvenn?" Hiccup asked. "He is doing well, he misses you and did you bring me any presents?" Anna asked as she moved to check Hiccup's various pockets.

"Straight to the gifts Anna? And of course, I did, did you think I had forgotten about the best sister in the world? I will be spending an entire week here, and will devote some quality time to you." Hiccup said as he gave Anna lopsided smile.

"That sounds wonderful, what did you get me?" Not giving up on the hunt.

Hiccup chuckled as she opened up a pocket on his good leg, but frowning slightly when she saw only tools.

"You will have to wait and see, it came all the way from Berk and I made it myself."

"I can't wait." Anna said as she gave a beautiful smile towards her older brother, while technically not her brother per se, Hiccup was the closest thing to one. She cast a gaze over to Hans who had a face that held a mixture of irritation and a bit of jealousy. " _Ooh, I forgot, Hans does not know who Hiccup is. Hans could be thinking I moved on to someone else, though I would never do such a thing, I love Hans._ "

Moving back over to Hans she looped her arm through his and settled into his side. "Hans, I would like to introduce you to Hiccup Haddock the Third, Chief of the island of Berk and a dear _friend_ ," Anna said as she presented Hiccup to Prince Hans. Whom leaned over and stuck out his hand to shake.

Hiccup grasped it and gave Hans a nod in respect. "Apologies Chief Hiccup, I did not know who you were and my language was immature."

"I take no offense, Prince Hans, so strike any hesitance you have in your mind toward me in the future."

Hiccup looked at the two, their body language seemed relaxed and loving, like how he and Elsa usually were around each other, but that was after years of being around one another. " _Though these two only just met, however, they could have met months ago, but Elsa would have told me. Thus, they met tonight and have already advanced into this stage, I knew Anna wanted to find herself a man, but this seems a bit rushed."_ He thought as he settled to stand next to Elsa and similar thoughts raced through her mind. " _Why is Anna holding onto Prince Hans in such a manner? Surely, they are not courting yet, especially without her telling me_."

Hiccup silently watched as Hans and Anna look lovingly into the other's eyes, " _I hope that is not what I and Elsa look like because mercy of Thor that looks weird._ " Hiccup nudged Elsa, who looked over and gave a similar facial expression at the sight in front of them.

Hiccup gave a clicking sound with his tongue to get Anna's attention, who turned back to her sister and Hiccup with a mild blush of embarrassment.

"Sorry, ooh how have you and Elsa been doing? Birger told me I missed an announcement. Did you two form an alliance?"

"Of sorts. Elsa do wish to tell Anna?"

"Yes. Anna, Prince Hans. After years of courting, I and Hiccup are engaged to marry, we wed in eighteen months." Elsa gave a lovely smile as Hiccup put his arm around hers, drew her in close and gave a peck on the side of her head.

"Really? That is amazing, then you will be my brother-in-law." Anna said as she pulled out of Hans grip and moved over to Hiccup and Elsa and gave each a hug in happiness and as a means of congratulating both.

"Yes, we will be a family."

"Not only that, you will become a prince consort. Congratulations Hiccup."

"No, he won't." Elsa piped in.

Anna and Hiccup turned to Elsa, confusion written on their faces. "Apologies, your majesty, Princess Anna is correct, when you two marry, Lord Hiccup will become a prince consort." Prince Hans delicately interrupted.

"No, he will be a king." Elsa said as she looked up at Hiccup.

Hiccup turned to look fully at his future wife. "Elsa, you don't need to, I am fully happy with becoming a prince consort when we marry."

Elsa took Hiccups right hand into hers and ran her gloved thumb repeatedly over his knuckles, admiring all the lines, muscles, and patches of roughness.

"When I was a child I dreamed of marrying a handsome man and he and I would rule together as king and queen, as equals. That was before I knew everything else, but I still have that dream and only you can make it come true." Elsa considered Hiccups eyes and smiled.

"And I do not need to, but I want to. I want a king at my side and that is what I will have. When the time comes I will sign a bill declaring you to become a formal king with all the styles, duties permissions. And then we will rule together over Arendelle, Berk and our other territories."

Hiccup was nearly brought to tears at her honesty and caring, "I love you."

Elsa smiled softly back at his declaration, "and I love you too."

Hiccup looked at Anna and saw tear-filled joy, then looked at Prince Hans and for the briefest of seconds, saw confusion, anger, jealousy and then happiness. "That is most wonderful news, congratulations." Prince Hans voiced as he gave a forced smile to the three of them.

" _I will have to keep my eyes on this prince, something is not right with him._ "

"Thank you", Elsa and Hiccup said together.

Prince Hans nudged Anna back to reality, "Oh, that reminds me Elsa, I mean Queen Elsa. We would like your blessing for our...our marriage."

Hiccups and Elsa's eyes blinked simultaneously. "Marriage?" Elsa asked in disbelief, as she cast a gaze over to Hiccup who was looking at one of the servants and motioning to bring him over a glass of wine. " _I hope that servant brings the bottle with her because I am going to get drunk tonight to get over this surprise."_ Hiccup thought as he grasped the glass and inhaled its entire contents in one swig, then took two more glasses off the plate and handed one to Elsa.

Who was still in a state of shock, much like himself.

Anna beamed with delight at her announcement as she held Hans in her arms, everything was coming together for her. She was talking to her sister again, Hiccup was set to become officially part of the family and she was about to marry Prince Hans. Life could not get any better.

"Yes." Anna squeaked out.

"I'm sorry. I'm confused, when and where did you two meet?" Elsa asked as she eyed the two and took a small sip of her wine, really hoping the alcohol content was high.

Anna tilted her head, "umm I think it was noon and at the entrance to the harbor, I literally bumped into his horse and nearly fell into the water had Prince Hans not caught me and pulled me back." Anna said and looked at Hans again, "thank you again for that."

Hans smiled at the acknowledgment, "it was no trouble and without it, we might not have met. It might be fate to which I am thankful for."

Hiccup glanced at the wall clock, it was nearly nine o'clock. " _Therefore,_ _in the space of roughly nine hours, Anna and Hans have gone from strangers to fiancées. This is very much rushed, and could almost be a record. Anna always did like to go fast, whether it be running, sledding, and now perhaps falling in love."_

"Ooh, I can't wait for the wedding, we will have to have soup, roast and ice cream, and can we live here?" Anna asked Prince Hans as she grasped his hands into hers.

"Here?" Elsa asked in shock. " _There is no condition in which these two are getting married, I will just have to try to get Anna alone with Hiccup and I and talk to her away from this prince."_ Elsa thought as she eyed the two lovebirds.

"Most definitely," Hans replied enthusiastically. " _This is getting easier and easier by the minute_."

"Plus, we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us. We will become a giant family."

Hiccup and Elsa looked at one another and a single thought crossed their minds. " _Twelve?"_

" _I have to put a stop to this, it is getting out of hand. Soon enough she will be talking about baby names."_ Elsa stepped forward and raised her hands to gain their attention.

"Wait a moment, slow down. No one is staying here, you two are not getting married." She said commandingly.

Anna's happy moment ended abruptly at that statement. "What? Why?"

"May, I and Hiccup speak to you? Alone?" As she eyed Anna then Prince Hans, wringing her hands together hoping her sister would take it well.

Anna drew back closer to Hans' embrace. "No, if you have something to say, you will tell it to us both here, now."

She had really wanted to avoid the entire region from knowing about her family's issues, but she had to do what was best for her kingdom and Anna even if she said sister did not know it yet.

"Fine, you can't marry a man you just met." Elsa said in a knowing manner.

Anna gripped Hans arm a little tighter, "you can if it is fate and true love."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at the mention of 'fate'. "Anna, it was a small incident and you have known this man for all of nine hours, you can't make such a life-changing decision on such little information. And what do you know of true love?"

"I believe more than you since you have yet to tell me you love me in over thirteen years. And you apparently love Hiccup more than your own sister, _and_ can only open your door for him." Anna said incredulously, ticking off each pain that she had to endure seeing her own sister close her door to her, but open it to Hiccup. She could feel a tear roll down her cheek as she recounted their painful family history.

Elsa wanted to take Anna into her arms and make everything better, but she could not and would not. She had to be a queen first and a sister second, at least in the ballroom. The future of her kingdom lay in her hands and that included the lives of over one million of her citizens, her sister's decisions did matter especially if it involved a marriage to a foreign prince. She knew Anna would hate her, but she would respect her later; she hoped.

"You asked for my blessing, and my answer is no." Elsa said as she looked straight at the two young royals. Shock crossed both their faces.

Anger bubbled up, but Anna pushed it down, not wanting to cause a scene in front of Hans.

She looked hopingly at Hiccup who was looking at Elsa, " _perhaps if I can get Hiccup to support my wishes, he can possibly change my sister's mind_."

"Hiccup, what do you think? You have stayed silent on this issue."

All attention was put on Hiccup, who immediately felt hot and uneasy. " _I am in a lose-lose situation for if I side with Anna, that will upset Elsa and vice versa. But I must speak the truth_."

Hiccup looked at his wine, brought the glass up to his lips and drank all its contents. Then brought the glass back down and rested it against his lower stomach.

"I believe…" He glanced at Elsa, who looked back hoping he would side with her. And then at Anna, "I believe that Anna and Hans be allowed to marry…" Elsa drew in a sharp breath and gave a crossed look at her fiancée'. He could also hear an excited breath from Anna.

"but only after two years of courting, one year of engagement and if they are still in love, then they can choose where and when to marry. Also, I would need to assess Prince Hans and make sure he has no _hidden_ reservations." He said as he looked carefully at Hans, who for a split-second show unrestrained rage.

"We are talking about my imminent little sister's future, I want to make sure she is in safe hands."

Hans for his own measure repressed all signs of anger and annoyance and drew up the look of a confused man. "Hidden reservations? I don't know what you are talking about, and I believe you should not make accusations until you have all your facts _Lord_ Hiccup." Hans said trying to remind this Viking of his rank in the presence of a prince.

Hiccup smirked at Prince Hans' reply. "Oh, I will, and we will have plenty of time to get to know one another in the next _three years_ if you accept your position that is. And as long as our fair queen accepts my suggestion of course." He said knowingly looking to Elsa to see if she had some thought on his suggestion.

"No." Hiccup heard Anna say, then cast a glance to her. "No, I want to marry Hans next month. I deserve happiness and love. I have waited long enough and if my sister won't give it to me, then Hans will."

Elsa released a big breath, "then if that is the case then you will marry without my approval or blessing, making the marriage void." Elsa said as she drew back a step. "As head of the Church of Arendelle, I will not support this marriage. And none of the churches or chapels will recognize your union, I will make sure of that." Elsa voiced in monotone patience.

Hiccup gave a look at Elsa, even he was surprised by the level of determination Elsa was willing to go, looking back at Anna he saw she was about to break down in tears. " _We were to close and now everything is ruined, the Gods really do hate us."_

Hiccup took a step toward the now emotionally irritated couple and tried to get to them through reason.

"Anna, look at me and Elsa, we revealed our feelings to each other when we were fifteen years young. We courted for over five years, and have been engaged for nearly seven months, and we still have another eighteen months before we can finally marry. Do you not think we just want to marry right now and begin our new lives? We do, but we must remain traditional and respectful of our customs and legacies." Hiccup said as he took Elsa's gloved hand into his. He knew full well, that he was channeling Elsa's response as his own.

This was not lost on Elsa as she gave give an inquisitive look.

Anna clenched her fists in anger, she had been sacrificing her happiness for thirteen years and would not stop till she got what she wanted, which was Hans.

Elsa felt her head throbbing from all these unexpected announcements. Maybe she would retire now and return to it in the morning. Perhaps even Anna would come to her senses and see her love for Hans as a mere infatuation.

"I am tired, and we will discuss this more in the morning, this can wait one night." Elsa said as she moved out of Hiccups embrace and out into the open dance floor.

"No!" Anna yelled gaining the attention of all those who were invited. "I am done waiting!"

Hiccup could see a few Guardsmen slowly and silently make a few strides towards their queen, in case they were needed.

Hiccup moved in-between Anna and Elsa when he felt a slight decrease in the temperature of the room. "Anna, lower your voice, you are causing a scene. And we will talk about this in the morning, all four of us." He said pleadingly, casting a glance to his friends as a silent plea for help and backup.

Anna shook her head, "No, no, no. I am tired of waiting, of being polite, and respecting your disrespectfulness. I want to and will marry Hans." She said as she pointed a finger at Elsa, drawing amazed and horrified looks from the guests.

"Then leave." Elsa uttered back, drawing a gasp from Anna, a look of shock from Hiccup and an eye twitch from Hans. "Leave Arendelle and marry Hans in the Southern Isles, but I and Hiccup will not come and witness it."

Elsa turned her back on her sister and took a step toward the two wooden doors that would lead to the hallway which would eventually take her to the safe confines of her room.

"What is wrong with you? What would our mother think of you?" That stopped Elsa in her steps. Rearing around to look at Anna, she took forceful strides towards her younger sister till she was within a meter of Anna.

"I may not be our mother, but I am still your queen." Elsa said as she tilted her chin up at Anna, reminding Anna of her duty and rank.

Anna narrowed her eyes at Elsa's remark. "Then you're a mean queen!"

Elsa could hear the gasps from around the room, " _that is it, I am done for the night_."

"Hiccup." She voiced looking at her pillar of strength. "I wish to retire; will you escort me to my room?" Elsa asked as lively as she could. "Yes, of course." Hiccup said as he moved and took Elsa's right hand into his own. Taking one step, before he felt a tug.

Turning around he saw that Anna had closed the distance between her and her sister and accidentally ripped off Elsa's right glove.

"Give me my glove!" Elsa asked pleadingly, trying to take the glove back, but Anna moved back and away from Elsa.

Remembering, he had an emergency pair of flying gloves Hiccup dropped Elsa's hand and brought his hand down into his side pocket and retrieved them. He moved to give one to Elsa, but her attention was on her sister.

"No, not until you bless my permission to marry Hans." Anna declared holding Elsa's glove away from her.

"Enough Anna." Elsa stated in a frustrated tone, giving up entirely and moving away, by herself toward the open doors. She would not be blackmailed over a glove, especially when she could just walk away.

She felt her powers start to stir within her, she cast a glaze down and saw ice start to form in the palm of her hand.

Seeing the back of her sister enraged Anna, she could see another door being shut in her face in her immediate future. Her entire life was filled with closed doors, but tonight would not be one of them, it was now or never.

"What is wrong with you? Why can't you allow me to be happy? Why can't…"

"I said enough!" Elsa shouted and threw her hand towards the floor in a sweeping motion. Thus, releasing the ice onto the floor, creating a sharp, pointed ice wall. Gasps, looks of horror, and the sounds of several glasses breaking echoed in the hall.

All eyes landed on Elsa, she had seen those looks of horror before, it was the same ones she received from her parents when she had accidentally frozen the wall in her room. Even Hiccup was surprised at her. She had to run, now. Moving away from everyone she broke into a sprint and moved out into the hallway.

Hiccup snapped out of his stupor and leaped over the ice wall, he did take note that the ice that was pointed toward him was dull and non-life threatening, perhaps even in accidental discharges, her powers knew of him and his role in her life. Which was ridiculous. Right?

Moving passed stunned Guardsmen out into the open hallway, Hiccup saw the tail end of Elsa's cape whip around a corner. " _Must go faster_." He thought as he picked up his pace to catch his love. Turning the corner, he saw that he had indeed caught up to her, five meters away.

"Elsa!" He shouted at her.

Elsa turned her head to see who was running after her, it was Hiccup.

"Hiccup go away, I need to be alone, I need to get away from everyone and everything." She shouted as she moved down another hallway towards the front exit.

"Elsa stop, we need to make this right, we need to confront everyone and tell them everything, lest we want to create an international incident on your first day as queen."

Turning her head and talking to Hiccup allowed him to catch up to his dearest. Only a meter now.

"Dammit Elsa, I am not made to run on his leg, we need…" Hiccup said as he grabbed the end of Elsa's cape and causing an immediate reaction.

Feeling a tug on her cape, she whirled around and released a gust of icy wind at the perpetrator, momentarily forgetting who was behind her.

Hiccup felt a cold wind the likes of which he had never felt before hitting his abdomen, the ice felt like pinpricks as it skimmed across his side and around his back. The wind was so strong his feet were blown out from under him and he fell face first onto the ground.

Hearing a weight of clothed armor and flesh hit the carpeted hallway, Elsa turned around to see Hiccup lying on the ground and his back covered with a thin layer of ice. She stopped and was about to help Hiccup, but then saw Ruffnut at the end of the hallway, who moved towards them. "Chief!" She heard Ruffnut yell as Astrid, Fishlegs and Birger followed behind her.

"I'm sorry Hiccup." Elsa whispered as she turned around and ran towards the closed front doors.

The last thing he saw before sleep overtook him was Elsa's attached cape fluttering freely behind her as she moved out into the courtyard. "Dammit, we were so cl…" Hiccup managed to get out before surrendering to the black cloud and his friend's yells.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed chapter fifteen, I have begun writing chapter sixteen which will be released when it is ready. No idea on a release date, but I hope less than it took to make this chapter. Try and drop a review if you have the time and favorite/follow my story. Once again thank you for reading and have a wonderful day.


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